Amritsar''s old world charm hits right notes on silver screen

Dhananjai Madaan

Amritsar, August 30

Those who know of the proverb ‘Home is where the heart is’ will not be able to refute the fact that every Punjabi, living away from home, feels a sense of connect with Amritsar. The hub of the rich cultural and historic legacy, Amritsar has an allures not just the Punjabis, but people from all walks of life. The Bollywood has also been smitten by its charm and simplicity..

Amritsar is the epitome of Punjabi heritage and nothing reminds us of the rich culture of our history like the beautiful nanakshahi architecture reflected in heritage houses and the narrow bylanes that still carry remnants of the bygone era . Amritsar has become the hot ground for the films with various historical sites becoming the background for the shooting of several Bollywood movies over the years. Manmarziyan, Happy Bhaag Jayegi, Khandani Shafakhana, and the upcoming film ABCD-Street Dancer are few examples of Amritsar hogging the limelight on silver screen.

Pranay Mahajan, whose house is situated inside Hathi gate and used for filming movie Manmarziyaan, shares, “It was a thrilling experience to interact with the people from film industry, who hold our culture and heritage in very high regard and try to convey the beauty of the real Punjabi lifestyle through the means of their movies.”

Vikram Seth, whose ancestral house became the location for the shooting of Khandani Shafakhana, has been renting the house for several films and music video shoots. “Amritsar is a historic and religious place, people come here from all over world because they are attracted from its vibrancy and old world charm.”

Kanika Dhillon, prominent writer of films like Manmarziyan and Judgemental Hai Kya shares that her childhood years spent in Amritsar was one of the reasons that inspired her to write the story of Manmarziyan.