Locations in Europe: United Kingdom, Switzerland
Storyline
Star(s): Sharukh Khan, Kajol, Varun Dhawan, Kriti Sanon
Songs/Dance/Action Sequences: ‘Humko Humise Chura Lo was shot in Switzerland
Indian/ International Crew: Mainly Indian crew
Language: Hindi
Executive Producer/Line Producer: Mehen Vakil (Executive Producer)
Director/Producer: Directed by Aditya Chopra, Produced by Yash Chopra of Yash Raj Films.
Film Location Analysis
By Shikha Jhingan
The film is a classic example of cinema’s ability to stitch two dissimilar spaces and contexts together using the camera, editing, music, narration, and production design. The exterior shots of Gurukul were shot at Longleat House, Wiltshire, in the UK. The interior shots of Gurukul and its neighbouring areas, where the three young boys meet their girlfriends, were shot on an elaborately constructed set.
The film begins with a sequence of three boys meeting each other at a small-town railway station. The next morning, we see them driving in an open Jeep towards a large Elizabethan estate with an extended driveway lined with landscaped gardens and decorative fountains on both sides. Using sound design and camera angles to emphasise its isolation from any habitation, the first half of the film builds Gurukul as an alienating and cheerless space.
The exteriors of Longleat House were also dressed up to meet the demands of the narrative by Sharmishta Roy, the art director of the film. For instance, a temple was constructed at Longleat House to show Gurukul as an institute where Hindu traditions are being followed.
In a video of the film’s making, Yash Chopra said that Aditya Chopra had a certain vision in mind for the institute, which needed to have elements such as an impressive building that stands isolated from other built spaces. He wanted a small temple and a pagoda; other important things were a gate and railings. They tried but could not find such an institute in India. Finally, when they saw Longleat House, they felt that it really matched all their requirements.
The interiors of the institute were shot on a constructed set that was expensively mounted in Alibag. The set also included other sites, like the market, Mall Road, etc. According to Sharmishta Roy, the idea was not "to replicate any particular township; what we have done is create something that looks British in architecture, and we haven’t called it any of the known places in India. It was an enormous set, and it took us a month and a half to complete that set."
In many ways, Mohabbatein seems like a precursor to Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (Johar, 2001), released a year later, which also used a huge estate in Buckinghamshire to show the wealthy Raichands’ home in Delhi.
In an interview, Amitabh Bachchan said that: "I was a little sceptical when he (Aditya Chopra) decided that he would go to a foreign location to replicate the exteriors or some interiors of Gurukul, because Gurukul is a very Indian-sounding name, and I wondered how an Indian-sounding institution would look in an area that is alien to Indian culture? But I must admit that when I saw the location, it was awesome."
Some scenes where the headmaster and students are walking in the inner courtyard of Gurukul were shot at Queen’s College, Oxford University. Some scenes of the film that show Ishika’s college were shot at Royal Cannaught Park in Bushey, Hertfordshire. These locations can also be seen in the song ‘Chalte Chalte.’
The song ‘Hum Ko Humise Se Chura Lo’ was shot in Bern, Switzerland. The camera frames the two lead characters, Raj and Megha (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan), against the snow-capped mountains and grassy slopes of Switzerland that had been introduced by the Yash Raj banner in earlier films like Chandni (1989) and Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge (1995). The locations for the song include Lake Amsoldingen and Lake Thun in the Bernese Oberland. In the last section of the song, the frame includes a bonfire in the snow with the two characters dancing and circling around each other.
Additional Information & Links
https://www.geocities.ws/mirzah/edited/buildings/longleat1115.htm
https://otakukart.com/mohabbatein-shooting-location-filming-details-of-classic-film/
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