7 movies on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and more that will whisk you off to London 

During a time when you're unable to freely explore your own city, spending the summer in the English lands is only a far-fetched dream. However, with all-time hits and pop culture knockouts available to us right in the comfort of our homes, it's possible to soak in at least the greatest parts of London, as presented on celluloid time and again. While the popular romcom Love, Actually (2003); romantic drama Closer (2004); 1968 musical Oliver; iconic 2012 adaptation of Charles Dickens' novel Great Expectations; family and sports drama Bend It Like Beckham (2002) and countless other films made in India and abroad alike feature the city in its different shades, here are a few recommended ones that you can begin your virtual tour with.

Notting Hill (1999)

The romcom may have overly romanticised the otherwise fast-paced life in London, it was, yet, nothing short of a beautiful montage of Notting Hill, a bohemian neighbourhood. Popular Hollywood actor Anna Scott (played by Julia Roberts) enters Will's (Hugh Grant) independent bookshop, where the latter accidentally spills a drink on her. She goes to his house to change and, before you even know it, the duo are romantically inclined towards each other. The story begins from there on, and so does the viewer's virtual trip down cobbled British streets and vibrant homes, serving up a royally delightful vibe. However, something to definitely ponder upon: the year-round story has no mention of the famous Notting Hill Carnival.

Streaming on Amazon Prime Video

Sherlock Holmes (2009-2011)

If there's one thing we should already be expecting from the third instalment of Robert Downey Jr's mystery film series, it is a scenic view of the English capital. Set in the Victorian era, the movies truly bring out the sophisticated, elegant vibe of the place with the performances taking place inside St Paul's Cathedral, on the grounds of the Royal Naval College, at King William Walk, and interspersed through the various iconic streets of central London. And with the private detective and his witty humour, it only gets better.

Streaming on Netflix

Harry Potter (2001-2011)

There doesn't exist an emotion which you can keep on mute while watching the British fantasy series. It provokes you to believe in magic, to love, stand up for your friends and be as courageous as it takes. Then, just when you think the movies couldn't get any better, you get introduced to JK Rowling's imagination of London, sometimes even from a bird's eye view, when creatures of the Wizarding World swing around on their flying brooms and cars. 

Streaming on Amazon Prime Video

Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001)

Amid the melodrama of affluent father disowning his son for marrying a girl from a lower socio-economic group, elder brother not being able to identify his own younger sibling after 10 years, etc, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham took the viewers on a tour to London and its neighbouring shires—apart from the streets of Delhi's Chandni Chowk, of course. Rahul (played by Shah Rukh khan) now lives in England with his wife Anjali (Kajol) and sister-in-law Pooja (Kareena Kapoor Khan). Rohan (Hrithik Roshan)—Rahul's brother— makes his way there to help reunite Rahul's family with his parents. While the plot takes us on a journey many fans know by heart now, London's famous South Kensington area, Great Russell Street, Osterley Park House and many other locations feature in the backdrop. The movie also takes us to Oxford—which is famed for its architectural beauty—Buckinghamshire, Kent and Wales—all surrounding the English capital.

Streaming on Netflix

Bridget Jones's Diary (2001)

The romanic comedy is a film adaptation of Helen Fielding's 1996 novel of the same name—which was, in turn, a reinterpretation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Bridget Jones is a dreamy single woman who writes everything she wishes should happen in her life, in a diary. She is attracted towards her boss at the publishing house where she works, and they start flirting heavily. However, she meets Mark Darcy—who she found utterly arrogant the first time they had a conversation—and starts developing feelings for him after he gives her career a push by using his position as a well-known barrister to get her an exclusive TV interview. As the truly Austen-esque story progresses, the audience is served beautiful, panoramic shots of London.

Streaming on Amazon Prime Video

Sense and Sensibility (1995)

There's nothing quite like onscreen Victorian London that will do the trick when we're in need of some immersive armchair travel at home. Sense and Sensibility, once again, a Jane Austen story, serves up just that. Contributing to a resurgence of Austen's work, the period drama, with its cottage houses, manors and open green fields—as well as locations from Mayfair to Marylebone—not just presented London's beauty as a backdrop to the plot, but made the city emerge as an urban landscape as vibrant and true-to-the-era as possible.

Streaming on Netflix

Cheeni Kum (2007)

Cheeni Kum is an unconventional love story of 64-year-old chef Buddhadev Gupta (played by Amitabh Bachchan) and 34-year-old Nina Verma (Tabu). The two have contrasting characters—the former is a pompous man, and the latter, a quiet and optimistic woman—but still fall in love against all odds. The backdrop of the acclaimed romantic comedy is the city, presented on screen complete with its iconic telephone booths, landmark locations and an accurate rendition of the British weather at its unpredictable best.

Streaming on ZEE 5

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