But as far as the Bollywood destination marketing stakes go, Switzerland might have reaped the most rewards: classics like Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge and Chandni have rendered the snowcapped mountains of Switzerland almost as familiar to Indian audiences as their own neighborhood chai stands. Visitors flooded the mountainous Indian region of Ladakh after it featured prominently in the climax of 3 Idiots, and Spain saw an influx of Indian travelers after Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara sent three friends on an epic road trip across the country. Given the fact that they draw rapt audiences by the billions, it’s hardly a surprise that a beautifully shot Bollywood movie could have a major impact on a destination’s tourism fortunes.
It is perfectly plausible, for instance, to expect a somber story unfolding in Delhi to be interrupted by a song sequence set in the Egyptian pyramids or an Icelandic glacier. Bollywood has long been synonymous with escapism, giving viewers a breather from their own lives through melodramatic plots, energetically choreographed and staged musical numbers, and scenic settings.
Years before I ever visited them myself, I formed lasting impressions of far-flung destinations from Bollywood movies and songs: Rajasthan in Lamhe, the beaches of Mauritius in Main Khiladi Tu Anari, the Greek isles in Chalte Chalte.
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