In Bollywood movies, their are so many beautiful locations are portrayed which we always want to visit. Not many knows that sometimes to cut back on expenses the filmmakers’ Show us the beautiful locations of the film which is technically false. The filmmakers even shoot some foreign location in their movies but actually, these are not from the foreign locations. This is all the wonder of fake picturizations. Well, today we are going to tell you Bollywood movies which fooled us with their false movie locations:

1. Dabanng

The climax of this film Dabanng needed to be shot in Laalgunj Uttar Pradesh, as the film is based on the story of Uttar Pradesh. But Shocking part is most of the scenes of the film were shot near Pune, Maharashtra.

2. Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani

In the film Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani there was a scene in which a few companions go for a trek from Manali to a few pinnacles, yet in all actuality, the scene was shot in Gulmarg. Also, the movie producers made false Manali in Gulmarg.

3. Fanaa

The film had most beautiful sequences. These were said to have been Kashmir in the movie, but in reality, these scenes were shot in Poland.

4. Chennai Express

Chennai Express had many scenes which appear to be shot at Komban in Tamil Nadu, but apparently the real location was near Pune.

5. Bajrangi Bhaijaan

A large part of Bajrangi Bhaijaan is shown to be set in Pakistan but in reality the movie was shot in Kashmir.

6. Mary Kom

Omung Kumar reproduced parts of Manipur in Manali, Himachal Pradesh just to finish the shooting of the biopic of Mary Kom, appears as though it was troublesome for the group to reach to the Manali.

7. Phantom

The film Phantom coordinated by Kabir Khan made Pakistan in Malerkotla in Punjab. So the shooting of the motion picture occurred in Punjab however the narrative of the Phantom is based from Pakistan.

8. Bombay Velvet

Anurag Kashyap reproduced Mumbai in the 1960s and it was Mumbai however the executive presents it as Sri Lanka and this false picturization done just for the film Bombay Velvet. The whole shooting of the film was done on the beautiful island.

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The Magic of Deception: 8 Bollywood Movies That Masterfully Fooled Us With Their ‘Fake’ Locations

Bollywood has always been synonymous with spectacular visuals, transporting audiences to picturesque hill stations, exotic foreign locales, and bustling cityscapes. From the snow-capped peaks of Switzerland to the golden dunes of Rajasthan, the camera is a powerful tool for wanderlust.

However, behind the scenes, filmmakers often employ a kind of geographic deception—a trick of the trade that substitutes one location for another. This is done for a myriad of reasons: security concerns, logistical challenges, budget constraints, or simply the need to find a pristine setting that an original, commercialized location no longer offers.

The brilliance lies in how convincingly the substitution is made. You might have been convinced you were looking at the serene valleys of Kashmir, a bustling 1960s Mumbai, or a remote Pakistani village, only to later discover the scene was shot hundreds or even thousands of miles away.

Here are eight famous Bollywood movies that brilliantly—and sometimes controversially—fooled us with their fake locations.

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The Great Himalayas Swap: From Manali to Gulmarg

1. Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (YJHD) (2013)

The quintessential “travel-with-friends” movie, Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, inspired an entire generation to pack their bags and head to the mountains. The film opens with the protagonists embarking on a life-changing trekking trip to Manali.

• Fake Location Portrayed: Manali, Himachal Pradesh.
• Actual Location Shot: Gulmarg and Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir.

The breathtaking snowscapes and high-altitude trekking trails shown were, in fact, not Manali but the stunning slopes of Gulmarg and Pahalgam in Kashmir. The location discrepancy was so significant that the former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Omar Abdullah, publicly pointed it out on social media, expressing annoyance that filmmakers were shooting in Kashmir’s beautiful locales only to promote them as Manali. This substitution allowed the crew to capture the vast, pristine wilderness required for the trekking sequences, which would have been harder to achieve in the more commercialized Manali region.

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Safety and Logistics: From Home State to Hill Station

2. Mary Kom (2014)

The biopic on the Olympic boxer M.C. Mary Kom was a powerful tribute to a legendary sportswoman, with the plot firmly rooted in her hometown in the North Eastern state of Manipur.

• Fake Location Portrayed: Manipur.
• Actual Location Shot: Manali and Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh.

The filmmakers initially planned to shoot in Kom’s home state to capture the true essence of her journey. However, a major portion of the shooting was relocated to Manali and Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh due to “security concerns” prevailing in Manipur at the time of filming. The art department faced the challenging task of recreating the look and feel of a Manipuri village, complete with specific house structures, within the scenic backdrop of the Himachali hills. Critics, however, pointed out that despite the efforts, the natural landscape (like wheat fields instead of rice fields) and the geographical context of the village did not match Manipur’s reality.

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International Political Climate: Poland as Kashmir

3. Fanaa (2006)

A romantic thriller centered on a visually impaired Kashmiri woman and an alleged terrorist, the film’s first half is set against a spectacular, snow-covered backdrop, meant to be the valleys of Kashmir.

• Fake Location Portrayed: Kashmir, India.
• Actual Location Shot: Tatra Mountains, Poland.

Due to the sensitive political environment and the security risk involved in shooting a high-profile Bollywood film in Kashmir during that period, the production was moved overseas. The snow-capped peaks and picturesque winter scenes were actually filmed in the Tatra Mountains of southern Poland. The stunning Polish landscape convincingly substituted for the rugged, mountainous beauty of Kashmir, providing the perfect frozen setting for the iconic romance.

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Building a Bygone Era: Sri Lanka as 1960s Mumbai

4. Bombay Velvet (2015)

Anurag Kashyap’s ambitious period drama was set entirely in the vibrant, seedy underbelly of Bombay in the 1950s and 1960s, a crucial part of the movie’s aesthetic.

• Fake Location Portrayed: Vintage Bombay (Mumbai), India.
• Actual Location Shot: Sri Lanka (Ranmihitenna, Colombo, Galle).

Filming in modern-day Mumbai would have made recreating the vintage look of the 1960s nearly impossible. Instead, the production team decided to shoot predominantly in Sri Lanka, where they rebuilt a massive, elaborate 12-acre set of the old city at the Ranmihitenna Mahinda Rajapaksa National Tele Cinema Park. Director Anurag Kashyap cited numerous reasons for the move: the cost-effectiveness and shorter schedule, the availability of government support, the period-accurate gothic architecture in Fort, Colombo, and the easy availability of vintage cars needed for the era.

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The Cross-Border Illusion: India as Pakistan

5. Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015)

The heartwarming story of an Indian man helping a mute Pakistani girl return home sees a significant portion of the plot unfold in Pakistan-occupied territories.

• Fake Location Portrayed: Sultanpur, Pakistan.
• Actual Location Shot: Kashmir Valley, India (Sonmarg and Zoji La).

Obtaining permission and ensuring the safety of the massive production crew to shoot in Pakistan was deemed impractical. Consequently, the filmmakers recreated the look and feel of a Pakistani border region using the dramatic landscapes of the Kashmir Valley, specifically around areas like Sonmarg and the Zoji La pass.

6. Phantom (2015)

This action thriller follows a disgraced Indian soldier on a mission to track down key perpetrators of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks in a series of locations, including parts of Pakistan.

• Fake Location Portrayed: Karachi and other parts of Pakistan.
• Actual Location Shot: Malerkotla, Punjab.

Similar to Bajrangi Bhaijaan, the political and logistical challenges of shooting in the actual location of Pakistan led the team to recreate the setting closer to home. The narrow streets and certain architectural elements of Malerkotla in Punjab were skillfully used to convincingly double as a Pakistani cityscape.

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Maharashtra’s Versatility: Playing Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh

7. Chennai Express (2013)

Director Rohit Shetty’s comedy-action film takes the audience on a journey through the heart of South India, from a remote village in Tamil Nadu to the famed Rameswaram.

• Fake Location Portrayed: Komban, Tamil Nadu and Rameswaram.
• Actual Location Shot: Wai and other areas near Pune, Maharashtra.

A surprisingly large portion of the film’s ‘South Indian’ village scenes, including the dramatic train sequences and the iconic bridge, were shot in Wai, a small town near Pune, Maharashtra, which has become a popular substitute location for other regions of India. The picturesque landscape and relatively untouched surroundings of Wai and the areas around Dhom Dam allowed the director to capture the required grandeur without the logistical hassles of the actual locations.

8. Dabangg (2010)

The blockbuster that gave us the iconic character Chulbul Pandey is set in the small, crime-ridden town of Laalgunj in Uttar Pradesh (U.P.).

• Fake Location Portrayed: Laalgunj, Uttar Pradesh.
• Actual Location Shot: Wai and other areas near Pune, Maharashtra.

While the film’s narrative is deeply rooted in the culture and dialect of U.P., the majority of the shooting, especially the massive climax sequence, was executed near Pune, Maharashtra. The plains and remote, slightly rustic backdrop available in the Wai and Pune outskirts were used to mimic the landscape of a rural North Indian town, saving the production crew from navigating the specific challenges of shooting in the actual region.

These geographical switcheroos are a testament to the ingenuity of Bollywood filmmakers. Whether motivated by budget, logistics, or security, the magic of cinema ensures that the final product is always a visual treat that seamlessly transports the audience into the world of the story, even if the address on the call sheet tells a different tale.

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AISEO Friendly FAQs

Q1: Why do Bollywood filmmakers use fake locations for their movies?

A: Filmmakers often use “fake locations” (substitute locations) for several practical reasons. These include:

1. Safety and Security: Shooting in politically sensitive or high-risk areas (like Kashmir or Manipur) is often avoided, leading to locations like Poland or Manali being used instead (Fanaa, Mary Kom).
2. Logistics and Cost: Building large, period-accurate sets or finding pristine natural backdrops is often cheaper and logistically easier in alternate, controlled locations, such as shooting Bombay Velvet in Sri Lanka instead of modern Mumbai.
3. Inaccessibility: Some remote areas or specific locations required for the script may be too difficult to get to with a large film crew, making a more accessible stand-in location a better choice.

Q2: Where was the trekking sequence in Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani actually shot?

A: Although the film portrays the trek as being in Manali, the majority of the snow-capped mountain scenes and trekking sequences in Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani were actually shot in Gulmarg and Pahalgam, located in Jammu and Kashmir.

Q3: Which place was used to represent Pakistan in Bajrangi Bhaijaan and Phantom?

A: In both Bajrangi Bhaijaan and Phantom, the scenes set in Pakistan were primarily shot in locations within India. For Bajrangi Bhaijaan, the scenes depicting the Pakistan side of the border were shot in the scenic Sonmarg and Zoji La regions of Kashmir. For Phantom, the urban Pakistani scenes were largely filmed in Malerkotla, Punjab.

Q4: Why was Mary Kom not filmed in Manipur?

A: The production team for the biopic Mary Kom chose to film the Manipur-based scenes in Manali and Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh, primarily due to security concerns in Manipur at the time of the shoot. A major part of the landscape and community setting of Manipur was recreated in these Himachal hill stations.