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8 Bollywood movies that capture the heavenly beauty of Ladakh, on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+ Hotstar
Want to check out a place where you can enjoy the frost and soak up some sun at the same time? Head to the stunning landscapes of Ladakh with these Bollywood movies
They say all you need to do to get a good photograph in Ladakh is point your camera in any direction and press click. The play of the light on the mountains and lakes, the rugged valleys and long winding roads, the awe-inspiring monasteries make it a land like no other.
Located between two of the world’s mightiest mountain ranges—the Himalayas and the Karakoram—Ladakh isn’t just a photographer’s delight, but a filmmaker’s joy as well. Chetan Anand’s 1964 war drama, Haqeeqat, is known to be the first Bollywood movie to be shot there. But for the present generation of cine-goers, it is the sight of Kareena Kapoor Khan dressed as a bride, riding a yellow scooter on the banks of the Pangong Lake, that we recall with such fondness. Not only the stunning lake, but even the Druk Padma Karpo School gained popularity among tourists when it featured in the movie 3 Idiots in 2009. In case you long to be in the mountains this weekend, watch these Bollywood movies to transport yourself to the heavenly surroundings of Ladakh.
Tubelight (2017)
Set against the backdrop of the Sino-Indian war in 1962, Salman Khan-starrer Tubelight’s first half featured Manali, while many of the film’s latter sequences were shot in Ladakh. In the many BTS videos that the cast and crew put up, one can make out how difficult it must have been to shoot at such high altitudes with strong winds, but the beauty of the stark landscape must have surely made up for all the trouble.
Streaming on Amazon Prime Video
Lakshya (2004)
Farhan Akhtar’s second film as a director was about a carefree young man who decides to turn his life around and join the army. The breathtaking landscape of Ladakh was chosen to stand in as Kargil, with the film’s climax being shot there as well. One of the schedules required the crew to shoot at Tanglang La, one of the highest motorable mountain passes in the world.
Streaming on Netflix
Road to Ladakh (2003)
Falling in love with a stranger has a certain mysterious charm, but doing it on a road trip that takes you to the heart of Ladakh, even more so. The stark brown landscape of this Irrfan Khan-starrer sets the mood for the two lonely souls—as different from each other as chalk and cheese—to find a connect.
Streaming on Amazon Prime Video
Jab Tak Hai Jaan (2012)
Who can forget Shah Rukh Khan’s epic entry scene in the Yash Chopra-directorial, driving a Royal Enfield in military clothing? The hero cruises down Ladakh's long roads with the mountains in the backdrop as he recites a poem written by filmmaker Aditya Chopra, in a voiceover. This particular scene was shot near the picturesque Pangong Lake. In a later sequence, Anushka Sharma’s character Akira takes a plunge into the freezing cold waters of the lake too.
Streaming on Amazon Prime Video
Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (2013)
It isn’t easy walking, let alone running in the high altitudes of Ladakh. But when you are Olympian Milkha Singh, no mountain is high enough. When Milkha, played by Farhan Akhtar, starts losing focus from his goals, his coach takes him for a special training. This part of Milkha's journey was shot at the beautiful Nubra Valley. The inspirational song in the background only helps elevate the scene.
Streaming on Disney + Hotstar
Dil Se… (1998)
If there is anyone who can do justice to Ladakh’s stark beauty and ever-changing landscape, it’s filmmaker Mani Ratnam. His keen eye for detail is the reason the song ‘Satrangi Re’, which features the lead pair of Shah Rukh Khan and Manisha Koirala, still inspires awe. Shot near the Thikse Monastery and Basgo Monastery ruins in Leh district, and at the Pangong Lake in Ladakh, the song is an ode to the heaven that the land is.
Streaming on Netflix
Sanam Re (2016)
The remarkable beauty of the Pangong Lake was once again captured by Divya Khosla Kumar in her love triangle, Sanam Re. Since the script demanded cold locations, the movie was shot at several locations in Ladakh, including the popular Pangong Lake.
Streaming on Disney+ Hotstar
Mirzya (2016)
Director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra had earlier filmed in Ladakh for Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, but for his epic fantasy romance, he wanted to show audiences some more untapped locations of the region. The filmmaker took his lead pair, Harsh Varrdhan Kapoor and Saiyami Kher, to virgin locations that lay beyond Pangong Tso and Nyoma, which were on the borders of China. The rains had just started when the film’s crew reached the location, so instead of delaying any further, the filmmaker decided to show the viewers how Ladakh looks when it pours.
Streaming on Amazon Prime Video
Also read:
7 Bollywood movies that capture the true spirit of Mumbai, on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video
