KOCHI: Remember the haunting song ‘Uyire’ from the iconic movie Bombay? It captured the pain of Shekhar Narayanan Pillai, played by Arvind Swami, yearning for his lady love Shaila Bano, portrayed by Manisha Koirala.
Apart from the lyrics, the music and the chemistry of the actors, the scenic background also played a big part in making the song a hit. The waves breaking on the black rocks, the rain-washed stones of the fort and the lush greenery combined to leave audiences mesmerised.
The same goes for another Mani Ratnam film Dil Se. The song ‘Jiya Jale’ has Shah Rukh Khan and Preity Zinta dancing on a boat on the beautiful backwaters of Alappuzha. Then there is the song ‘Behne De’ from the movie Raavan which has Aishwarya Rai jumping off a cliff near a waterfall to escape from Abhishek Bachchan who had kidnapped her. It showcased the Athirapally waterfalls.
These are joined by several others, including Chennai Express, Guru, and a clutch of Tamil films.
Realising the promotion that movies provide to locales where they were shot, the tourism department
has decided to market them in a way that allows visitors to relive the movie experience. In the first phase, two locales, Bekal Fort in Kasaragod and Kireedom Bridge at Punchakkari, in Thiruvananthapuram, have been identified.
Other popular locations, such as villages in Palakkad and Athirapally, are also under consideration. As the first step towards implementing the project, a feasibility study of the locations has to be carried out, said Minister for Tourism, P A Mohamed Riyas.
“This has been done in the case of Bekal Fort and Kireedom Bridge. Such studies have to be carried out for other locales under consideration,” he said.
An official with the tourism department said, “In the case of Kireedom Bridge, a DPR has been drawn up. It has been submitted and after the report gets approval, funds will be made available.” At Bekal Fort, the department is trying to bring together the Bombay film crew, including actors Arvind Swami and Manisha Koirala, director Mani Ratnam and A R Rahman.
“No activities have been planned for Kireedom Bridge as of now. Here, the department is focusing on the possibility of setting up exhibits associated with the film. It has also been decided to conserve the bridge,” said the official. He said that since each location has its own distinct features, activities planned at Bekal Fort cannot be implemented elsewhere. Meanwhile, director Mani Ratnam has expressed his support for the proposed project at Bekal Fort.