Rajasthan - Film Maker’s and Photographer’s Paradise

Bollywood Fantasies

Need incredible backgrounds, the more fantastic the better? Simply look around: there is Sisodia Rani ka Bagh and Vidyadharji ka Bagh in Jaipur; Saheliyon ki Bari in Udaipur; the resorts of Balsaman, Sardarsamand in Jodhpur and heritage resort in Lakshman Sagar. There are elephants and camels and peacocks. There are streets full of flamboyantly dressed people. And villages the homes are brightly painted. Anywhere you look in Rajasthan, anywhere you focus through the beta camera, provides the vivid, imaginative background you were looking for.

Arid Landscape

For those looking for the perfect sands as a background for their scenes there is Jaisalmer, with its Sandunes, but even more interesting are the sand dunes between Bikaner and Nokha, around Deshnoka, where for long stretches, there is no human intrusion to be seen, no leaf of grass to disturb the flow of the desert. When looking for scrub land deserts, the Shekhawati landscape is idea, especially since its small towns that emerge from the horizon are as timeless in their look now as they were centuries ago.

But Rajasthan is not simply great for landscapes shots of sand dunes, for there are huge lakes too, and thick forests and the Aravalli and Vindyachal Hill, all of which are great locations.

Family Dramas And Socials

Not all films or ads require only historic backgrounds, or opulent palaces. When looking for a traditionally setting for family dramas, for example, the many havelis are ideal, whether in Shekhwati or even in Bikaner, since these are built with open courtyards, and are likely to be ready for a shoot without having to make them over.

Even when a more European ambience is required, such as those of families that tended to be educated according to Western ways, places such as Mount Abu with their period bungalows and furniture more than fit the bill. The hill station is charming to for its lake views, sunset points, walks and trails, and the Jain temples close by.

People’s Choice

Often, cinema needs the background of ordinary people, and in Rajasthan you couldn’t ask for more: the people are unspoilt, and as a background, they can bring their brand of vibrancy on the screen without even being aware that they are on camera. Since dancers and singers are also needed for the backspace, there are the Kalbeliya snake dancers, the Bikaner fire dancers and Jaisalmer’s Langa and Manganiyar singers who can cast a spell on any audience within moments.