Bollywood Breaks Up With Switzerland

July 26, 2013 in Daily Bulletin

In a story worthy of Bollywood itself John Letzing writes that the Indian film industry has fallen out of love with Switzerland:

  • A song and dance scene shot in the Swiss Alps had, in the 80s and 90s, become a staple in Indian films.
  • Before Switzerland the similarly picturesque Kashmir Valley had been the Indian filmmaker’s shooting location of choice. But tensions and clashes with Pakistan made it unsafe to shoot there.
  • Now however Indian audiences have grown tired of shots in Switzerland which have become a tired old cliché.
  • When Indian filmmakers need a snowy mountain scene they now increasingly use the Himalayas or a somewhat more peaceful Kashmir.
  • England has also become a popular filming location – in part due to the financial incentives it offers to those who shoot there.
  • Austria, a Swiss neighbour, is also reaching out with financial incentives – and points out that it has “the same mountains and lakes”.

Read more about the films that made Switzerland such an important filming destination for a couple decades, the changing taste of Indian moviegoers and more over here.

Source: The Wall Street Journal

Via: Marginal Revolution