11 Iconic Bollywood Movies Shot in Stunning Foreign Locations

Many iconic Bollywood movies were shot in foreign locations. Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge made Switzerland’s Saanen and Gstaad famous with Indian tourists, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara took viewers across Spain, Kal Ho Naa Ho was set in New York, and Rockstar was filmed in Prague. Here are 11 such films and the places they showed us.

Shooting abroad is not new for Hindi cinema. Raj Kapoor’s Sangam (1964), with songs filmed in Europe, is often credited as one of the first big Hindi films to take its story overseas. Yash Chopra later made Switzerland a Bollywood favourite, and Switzerland honoured him with a statue in Interlaken in 2016.

Quick list of films and locations

Film	Year	Main foreign locations
Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge	1995	London, Switzerland
Kuch Kuch Hota Hai	1998	Mauritius, Scotland
Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai	2000	Thailand, New Zealand
Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham	2001	England, Egypt
Kal Ho Naa Ho	2003	New York, USA
Dostana	2008	Miami, USA
Bachna Ae Haseeno	2008	Australia, Italy, Switzerland
Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara	2011	Spain
Rockstar	2011	Czech Republic
Jab Tak Hai Jaan	2012	London
Dil Dhadakne Do	2015	Mediterranean cruise, Turkey

1. Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995)

Aditya Chopra’s debut follows Raj and Simran from London to a European rail trip and finally to Punjab. The London scenes include Trafalgar Square and King’s Cross station, while the songs and travel scenes were shot mainly in Saanen, Gstaad and Montbovon in Switzerland.

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The film made the Swiss Alps a must-see for Indian families. Yash Raj Films even launched a tour of its filming locations in 2010.

2. Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998)

Karan Johar’s first film set its college in India, but the campus scenes were actually shot at the University of Mauritius in Moka. The title song was filmed in Scotland, at places such as Eilean Donan Castle, Glen Coe and Loch Lomond.

3. Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai (2000)

Hrithik Roshan’s debut, directed by Rakesh Roshan, shot its island scenes in Krabi, Thailand, near the rock formation popularly called James Bond Island. The song “Na Tum Jano Na Hum” and other scenes were filmed in Christchurch and Queenstown in New Zealand.

4. Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001)

The Raichand family’s grand home was shown using Waddesdon Manor in Buckinghamshire, England. The London half of the film also used Blenheim Palace, St Paul’s Cathedral and the River Thames. The song “Suraj Hua Maddham” was shot near the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt.

5. Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003)

Set entirely in New York, this film starring Shah Rukh Khan, Preity Zinta and Saif Ali Khan shows Times Square, Central Park and the Brooklyn Bridge. For many Indian viewers, it was their first long look at the city on screen.

6. Dostana (2008)

This comedy starring Abhishek Bachchan, John Abraham and Priyanka Chopra was set and shot in Miami. South Beach, Ocean Drive and the city’s bright beachfront give the film its holiday feel.

7. Bachna Ae Haseeno (2008)

Siddharth Anand’s film follows Ranbir Kapoor’s character through three relationships in three places. Deepika Padukone’s portions were shot in Sydney, while the song “Khuda Jaane” was filmed across Italy, including Venice, Capri and the Apulia region. Parts with Minissha Lamba were shot in Switzerland.

8. Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011)

Zoya Akhtar’s road trip film about three friends is practically a tour of Spain. It covers the Costa Brava, Barcelona and Andalusia, recreates Buñol’s La Tomatina festival, and ends with the bull run in Pamplona. The “Señorita” song was filmed in the Andalusian village of Alájar.

The film is widely credited with making Spain a popular destination for young Indian travellers.

9. Rockstar (2011)

Imtiaz Ali’s music drama, starring Ranbir Kapoor and Nargis Fakhri, follows Jordan to Prague. The city’s Old Town, Charles Bridge and Wenceslas Square appear on screen, and some scenes were shot in the Czech town of Liberec.

10. Jab Tak Hai Jaan (2012)

Yash Chopra’s final film as director was shot largely in London and in Ladakh. The London portions show the city’s bridges, parks and riverside, and frame the love story between Shah Rukh Khan and Katrina Kaif.

According to swissinfo, Chopra had planned to shoot a Swiss sequence for this film, but he died in October 2012 before it could be filmed.

11. Dil Dhadakne Do (2015)

Zoya Akhtar’s family drama is set on a Mediterranean cruise. Much of it was filmed aboard a cruise ship, with onshore scenes in countries including France, Spain, Italy, Tunisia and Turkey, where Istanbul, Antalya and Cappadocia appear.

Planning a trip to these places

Many of these spots are open to visitors. Switzerland’s Jungfrau region and Interlaken, Spain’s Pamplona during the San Fermín festival in July, and Prague’s Old Town are popular with Indian tourists. Check visa rules and official tourism sites before you book. For travel ideas and visa guides, see our travel section, and find more film lists in entertainment.

Frequently asked questions

Sources: swissinfo: Yash Chopra statue, Wikipedia: Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Wikipedia: Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara.