The courtship scenes in Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ) put Switzerland firmly on the tourist map for many Indians
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Listening: Switzerland’s Bollywood hotspots
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Indian film Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, that was extensively filmed in Switzerland, swissinfo.ch has created an interactive map featuring prominent Bollywood filming locations in Switzerland.
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I cover food and agribusiness and have a special interest in sustainable supply chains, food safety and quality, as well emerging players and trends in the food industry.
A background in forestry and conservation biology led me down the path of environmental advocacy. Journalism and Switzerland made me a neutral observer who holds companies accountable for their actions.
Released in 1964, Sangam was the first Indian film shot in Switzerland but it was the 1967 film Evening in Paris, that first used the Alps as backdrop for singing, dancing and romancing. However, it would be a few more decades before Switzerland burst into the Indian consciousness, following the release of the Bollywood film Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge in 1995, which featured superstar Shah Rukh Khan as a love-struck Romeo trying to win his lady love Kajol’s heart in the midst of breathtaking Swiss scenery. Many other films subsequently incorporated Switzerland as a backdrop cementing the Alpine nation’s place as a must-visit on any European tour aimed at Indian travellers.
The Swiss tourism industry has been quick to latch on to this free publicity and now actively promotes the country’s link to Bollywood to touristsExternal link and filmmakersExternal link alike.
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Although many Holly- and Bollywood scenes are shot in Switzerland, until now Swiss self-promotion hasn't been anything to sing and dance about.
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Oliver Paulus tells swissinfo how he came up with the idea for his culture-clash comedy, which had its world premiere in Zurich on Saturday, and why he thinks it will be a hit with Swiss audiences. “I was in an Indian village 17 years ago watching a Bollywood movie and suddenly Switzerland appeared on screen!”…
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Industry officials highlight Indian cultural, shopping and culinary preferences and dislikes. Indians spent a total of 284,390 nights in Swiss hotels last year, up 14 per cent on 2005. The report from the Swiss tourist board and the hotel industry, Hotellerie Suisse, hailed India as one of the most important markets and forecast an average…
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