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Bucket-List Essentials: Obscure Destinations Seen on Screen
From seaside escapes in Italy to frozen lakes in Siberia, here’s a tour of the lesser-known but stunning filming locations for the next adventure.
While many believe Raj Kapoor’s Sangam (1964) to be the first Hindi feature film shot abroad, others argue it was S.K. Ojha’s Naaz (1954), with some even going as far back as Hirendra Kumar Basu’s Africa Mein Hind (1939). But it wasn’t until director Yash Chopra flew his cast and crew down to the Keukenhof Gardens in Amsterdam to film a song for Silsila (1981) — and then transformed Switzerland into the ultimate shoot destination for Hindi cinema — that audiences began seeking out these locations for their own adventures.
In fact, The Guardian reported that the year following the release of Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011) saw 60,444 Indians visiting Spain, nearly double the 2011 figure, whereas Business Insider India credited the film for a 65 per cent increase in the country’s tourism.
Similarly, there are several such foreign films and shows featuring Indian actors as well — be it The Perfect Couple (2024) starring Ishaan Khatter or Irrfan Khan’s Life of Pi (2012) — that were shot in lesser-known parts of the world and have piqued the audience’s interest.
Here are some of The Hollywood Reporter India’s travel recommendations based on lesser-known but exotic on-screen locations.
Cape Cod, Massachusetts, United States of America
Ishaan Khatter’s Hollywood debut with Netflix’s The Perfect Couple (2024) features a fictional ocean-front home in Nantucket in the United States of America called ‘Summerland’. However, the real house is located at the southeastern tip of Cape Cod, a peninsula in Massachusetts that extends into the Atlantic Ocean. It is an idyllic property that goes by the name of Chatham.
Fans can also visit Elwood’s Raw Bars, previously known as Northport Plaza, which served as the Nantucket Police Department station on the show, along with the Chatham Beach and the Tennis Club at Lighthouse Beach, where several important scenes were filmed. “There are restaurants [in Cape Cod], but they’re mostly all seafood [places]. There weren't many people there other than the locals, and coming from Mumbai, that really is a bit of a culture shock,” said Khatter, reflecting on spending four months in Cape Cod.
The French Riviera, France
Season two of Amazon Prime Video’s Made in Heaven (2023) took the big fat Indian wedding to France. The picturesque locations of Nice witnessed the nuptials of a celebrity couple, Leila Shirazi (played by Elnaaz Norouzi) and Sarfaraz Khan (played by Pulkit Samrat). In the opening sequence, the two were filming a wedding rehearsal video at the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild, which is located on the French Riviera and was originally built by Baroness Charlotte Béatrice Ephrussi de Rothschild between 1907 and 1912. She was a socialite, art connoisseur and member of the prominent Rothschild banking family of France.
It is home to an extensive art collection, including priceless traditional French pottery Sèvres and Vincennes porcelain pieces, works by Jean-Honoré Fragonard, King Louis XVI’s furniture and paintings by masters like François Boucher, Vittore Carpaccio and Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, among others. The series also features the scenic route of Promenade des Anglais, an esplanade along the Mediterranean coast of Nice; parks like Colline du Château, and beaches like Plage Passable in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, all of which make for the ideal French holiday.
Sofia, Bulgaria
S.S. Rajamouli’s RRR (2022) is an action-packed drama featuring memorable shots like NTR Jr.’s entry, where his character encounters a tiger. These scenes were predominantly filmed in Sofia, the capital city of Bulgaria, which served as the perfect setting.
The city has much to offer to travellers — from the Patriarchal Cathedral of St. Alexander Nevsky, the National Palace of Culture and the National Museum of History to the Saint George Rotunda Church, the National Art Gallery and the National Museum of Military History, to name a few.
For those more inclined towards retail therapy, the Zhenski Pazar Market is the place to be. Communism tours, which offer an exposition on the history of communism in Bulgaria; hikes to Seven Rila Lakes, the Vazrazhdane Aqua Park, and walks through the Museum of Illusions are also popular among tourists. However, one must note that the film’s Oscar-winning song ‘Naatu Naatu’ was shot in the Mariinsky Palace in Kyiv, Ukraine.
Sorrentine Peninsula, Italy
An addition to the Yash Raj Films’ spy universe and a sequel to the 2019 action-thriller [War], War 2 is set to release on August 14, 2025. If Hrithik Roshan sharing the screen with NTR Jr. wasn’t exciting enough, the film is also shot in some of the most breathtaking corners of the world. “Taking it all in,” read Roshan’s caption on Instagram, as he shared a photo of himself admiring the lush Italian landscape.
While some scenes are expected to be shot in more popular destinations like Venice, Tuscany, Naples, Lake Como and the Amalfi Coast, a lesser-known shooting location is the Sorrentine Peninsula. Ideal for leisurely swims and lying by the beach with a limoncello, Sorrentino is all about calmness and relaxation. Play cards with the locals at Sedile Dominova or enjoy some delicious seafood at Peter's Beach.
Lake Baikal, Siberia, Russia
When Shah Rukh Khan returned to the big screen with Pathaan (2023), starring alongside Deepika Padukone and John Abraham, it naturally generated a buzz. While the spy thriller was filmed across India, Afghanistan, Spain, UAE, Turkey, Russia, Italy and France, one scene in the trailer caught everyone’s eye — a high-speed bike chase on a frozen lake. Lake Baikal in Southern Siberia is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, popularly known as the ‘Pearl of Siberia’, thanks to its glistening surface. It’s known to be the world’s oldest and deepest lake, situated in the Baikal Rift Valley, above the deepest continental rift on Earth. As the rift gradually widens, the lake continues to grow deeper.
From ice-skating to hiking around the area on the Great Baikal Trail, and meeting the only freshwater species of seal, one can not only walk, cycle or drive on this lake, but also consider bringing tents to spend the night on its surface.
Honourable Mentions
Here are some bucket-list destinations from older films that you simply can’t miss.
Corsica, France
Something about Imtiaz Ali’s frames sparks wanderlust, especially in films like Tamasha (2015) starring Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone, which was shot in Corsica, France. La Cittadella — where the earworm ‘Matargashti’ was filmed — is an old building tied to the Corsican freedom movement and a must-visit for tourists; which can be followed by a heartening meal at the square in front of the Citadel, bustling with French restaurants. “I was looking for a place that hadn’t been explored by tourists much, but had the capacity to be very popular as a destination in the years to come,” said Ali in a clip shot by the Citadelle of Bastia.
In search of a place that had a cultural backdrop, he stumbled upon Corsica in the comic book Asterix in Corsica by René Goscinny, a city where the geography changes every 25 kilometres. Culture enthusiasts can visit the Old Port and The Church of Saint Jean-Baptiste, while avid shoppers can sample local produce at Place de Marché. Exploring the Cap Corse peninsula and the fishing village of Erbalunga also makes for a scenic day.
Lapland and Helsinki, Finland
The first Bollywood film to be shot in Lapland and Helsinki in Finland was R. Balki's Shamitabh (2015), and the Nordic experience wasn’t without its challenges.
Back in 2014, The Indian Express reported that a snowstorm forced the cast and crew to halt filming a dance number and walk back to safety, heaving heavy equipment for 10 kilometres in the harsh weather.
One can avoid such situations by visiting Finland in summer, between the months of May and September. For those hoping to witness the magical Northern Lights, however, the time between December and March is ideal.
While the film was shot in spots like the Helsinki-Vantaa Airport, there’s a myriad of adventures for tourists to embark on. From hiking to the Korouoma Canyon frozen waterfalls and riding the snowmobile in Lapland, to visiting the Ranua Zoo (which houses polar bears) and exploring Rovaniemi — known to be the official home of Santa Claus — Finland is a land of surprises.
Essaouira, Morocco
Anurag Basu invited his audience into a fantastical world of possibilities with Jagga Jasoos (2017), and a part of the movie — particularly the action sequences — was set in the fictional town of Mombaca, which was filmed in Kenya, Cape Town and Essaouira in Morocco.
Essaouira is a port city along the Atlantic coast in the western Moroccan region of Marrakesh-Safi, and Jagga Jasoos highlights the cultural motifs of the region by showcasing Moroccan plates hung outside the homes, for example.
Boasting Islamic and European influences, Morocco is known for its ceramic wares, typically featuring blue floral designs and orange geometric shapes. A three-hour drive west of Marrakesh, Essaouira exemplifies slow living. Walking around the Medina, buying fish at the Port of Essaouira Sqala, surfing, camel riding, quad biking, experiencing a traditional Hammam (steam bath) or Berber massage, visiting Dar Sultan Palace or taking in the history on display at the Musée Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdallah — the quintessential Moroccan experience lies in immersing oneself in its culture.
Malta
From Game of Thrones (2011) and Troy (2004) to Gladiator (2000), The Count of Monte Cristo (2002) and even Bharat (2019), the Mediterranean island of Malta has been the go-to destination for countless films. However, Thugs of Hindostan (2018) took things to the next level by building two gigantic ships at the Malta Film Studios on the island. In fact, one of the ships was destroyed on screen because of an explosion so massive that it made news the next day.
Its capital city, Valletta, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site established in the 1500s by the Knights of St. John, a Roman Catholic order, and is full of Baroque architecture and stone alleys. Be it St. John’s Co-Cathedral or the Grand Harbour, Roman-Byzantine catacombs, Blue Lagoon or the oldest stone architecture in the world, there’s plenty to see and do on the island.
The Casa Rocca Piccola, a museum that is home to the Marquis de Piro and his family, however, is a must-visit. He is a modern knight of the Order of St. John, an international Catholic fraternal service organisation, who, along with his wife Frances (Ding), was the first of the Maltese aristocracy to open their house to the public. One can also go diving, sip on famous Maltese wine by the beach, or walk through World War II tunnels.
Taichung, Taiwan
Taiwanese filmmaker Ang Lee’s Life of Pi (2012) was widely acknowledged as a cinematic masterpiece. From Pondicherry and Kerala in India, to Montreal in Canada and Auckland in New Zealand, the film was shot across the globe.
But, unbeknownst to many, several of the vital scenes were filmed in the director’s home country, Taiwan. The ocean scenes were shot at the wave tank and amid hangars of the Shuinan Airport in Taichung, its second-largest city.
One can visit the Kenting National Park in Pingtung County, which was featured in the film, and it also happens to be where the director was born. The animals in the film were from the Taipei Zoo.
However, one must explore the night markets in Taipei, see active volcanoes at the Yangmingshan National Park, walk through bamboo forests and tea plantations in the Alishan region in Chiayi County, relax by the beaches on Penghu Islands, and pay a visit to the Confucius Temple in Tainan. Once you’re in Tainan, try the eel noodles, Spanish mackerel stew, and traditional ice cream with fruit.
