Locations in Europe: Norway
Storyline
Star(s): Jiiva, Ajmal Ameer, Karthika Nair, Prakash Raj
Songs/Dance/Action Sequences: Located in Norway.
Indian/ International Crew: Indian and international.
Language: Tamil
Director: K.V. Anand Producer: Elred Kumar
Film Location Analysis
By Veena Hariharan
The "Amali Thumali" song was shot at the Lysefjord in Norway at the Trolltunga, Odda; Preikestolen, Rogaland; Kjeragbolten, Kjerag Mountains; and Stalheim Hotel, Stalheim:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IQXqcdhlLA
Lysefjord
Lysefjord is a fjord located at Forsand, in Ryfylke, south-western Norway. The name means light fjord and is said to be derived from the lightly coloured granite rocks along its sides. The fjord was carved by the action of glaciers in the ice ages and was flooded by the sea when the later glaciers retreated. End to end, it measures 42 km (23 miles) with rocky walls falling nearly vertically over 1000 m (3,000 ft) into the water. Lysefjord is an extremely popular tourist attraction for day trips from nearby Stavanger, from where cruise ships travel the full distance of the fjord. As well as the extraordinary scenery of the fjord itself, two points along its length are popular side trips. The rock of Preikestolen, located above a vertical drop of 600 metre, can be seen from the fjord. At the end of the fjord lies the Kjerag mountain, a popular hiking destination. The fjord is surrounded by steep 700-1100-metre-high mountains, not leaving much room for any kind of settlement.]
Trolltunga – Odda, Norway
[Trolltunga is a piece of rock ‘hanging’ horizontally out of the mountain, about 700 metre above the Ringedalsvatnet in Skjeggedal, close to Tyssedal by the Sørfjorden of the Hardanger Fjord, in the municipality of Odda, Norway. The name translated to English, means “The Tongue of the Troll.”]
Preikestolen – Rogaland, Norway
[Preikestolen or Prekestolen, also known by the English translations of Preacher's Pulpit or Pulpit Rock, and by the old local name Hyvlatonnå, is a massive cliff 604 metres (1982 ft) above Lysefjord, opposite the Kjerag plateau, in Forsand, Ryfylke, Norway. The top of the cliff is approximately 25 by 25 sq. metres (82 by 82 ft), and is almost flat. It is a famous tourist attraction in Norway. During the four summer months of 2009, approximately 130,000 people took the 3.8 km (2.4 mi.) hike to Preikestolen, making it one of the most visited natural tourist attractions in Norway.]
Kjeragbolten – Kjerag Mountains, Norway
[Kjeragbolten is the name of a massive boulder that’s wedged and completely stuck between the walls of two steep cliffs in the Kjerag mountains, Norway.]
Stalheim Hotel – Stalheim, Norway
[Stalheim Hotel is uniquely located overlooking the dramatic scenery of the World Heritage-listed Nærøy Valley. This was the first ever hotel of Stalheim, established back in 1885. The hotel’s viewing point offers some breath-taking views of Stalheimskleiva, the 1.5-km-long stretch of road winding its way up the mountainside, from the end of the valley to the top at Stalheim.]
Sigmund Holm of the Western Norway Film Commission said: “K.V. Anand and the Indian team chose some of our most extreme glacier-carved peaks and mountain formations as a backdrop. The glaciers and alpine peaks in Western Norway lay as low as 900 metres above sea level, and this is a big time and money-saver compared to similar locations around the world where you have to get acclimatised and go at least above 3,000 metres to get a similar mountain look.” Indeed, K.V. Anand can take the credit for introducing Tamil film audiences to the splendid fjords of Norway. The song “Amali Thumali” was set in the Lysefjord
at Forsand, Rogaland, Norway. Since the film’s release, the “Amali Thumali valley” got nicknamed as such among aspiring tourists and Instagrammers, posting selfies from this stunning location.
In the song, the actors are dressed in black, and as the director says in the making-of-video of the song, were intended to stand in contrast to the emerald blues of the sky and sea, their sheer clothes in striking contrast to the freezing temperatures of the setting. Extreme long shots, 360-degree crane shots, and slow pans reveal the stunning landscape of grey mists, majestic glaciers, granite rocks, and ocean reefs. Several top-angle shots also offer a treat of spectacular views of the mountain drops, and the cascading Stalheimsfossen and Sivlefossen waterfalls. The natural landscapes are intercut between actors as they dance to the catchy tunes of the song, precariously perched on the geographic formations that jut into the sea, located on extreme mountain drops or wedged between cliffs, adding a spirit of adventure, perilousness, and edginess to their romance. The making-of-videos reveal the precarious locations attached to narrow ladders and ropes later removed in post-production. The first such location is the Preikestolen (Pulpit Rock), which is an enormous cliff hovering at nearly 600 metres above the fjord. The other is the Kjeragbolten, a big solid floating rock in the crevice of the Kjerag mountain. And the last one is the Trolltunga, translated into English as "The Tongue of the Troll"–a spectacular stone formation hanging out of the mountain above Skjeggedal in Odda, Hordaland, providing unique views of the mountains around and the lake below. There are also views from the Stalheim Hotel overlooking the dazzling fjord valley and the picturesque waterfalls.
