When Serbia became Kashmir

It was the search for exact replicas of the gear and guns of Special Forces Officers which pushed the makers of Uri - The Surgical Strike to explore Serbia as a destination that would lend the film an authenticity that would go beyond its Kashmir-like topography.

  “I couldn’t have got a better Kashmir outside Kashmir than Serbia,” director Aditya Dhar had once said of the southeast Europe country, now a hub for Indian film shootings owing to easy commute — no visa regime for India for 30 days — and an attractive 25 per cent cash rebate.  But Dhar’s reason to take the crew to Serbia was more than one.

  He said, “The kind of gear we were looking at for the film; the clothes, the guns, the night vision goggles, the helmets... Our requirement was very specific as we wanted to be as close to what real Special Forces Officers use. That kind of gear is not available in India. Importing that to India may take you close to a year or two. That was one of the prime reasons why we went to Serbia.” “The other was that the topography of Serbia is very close to Kashmir.” 

  Uri... was shot in 49 days and within a budget of Rs 25 crore. And Dhar was happy to have replicas of M4 carbine, M16 rifle and AK47.  This is just one of the many examples of how, with tight schedules and smart choice of locations, our filmmakers are gradually moving towards an ecosystem where they are able to control the shooting budget to create content-driven movies that reap box office returns and audience appreciation.

  AndhaDhun, shot in Pune, was a runaway success. Stree, shot in Madhya Pradesh, ran successfully and crossed Rs 100 crore. Badla, a story that largely oscillated between two rooms, was shot in Glasgow, Scotland, and has made close to Rs 90 crore. Luka Chuppi, shot in Gwalior, has surpassed that mark, as per industry sources. –IANS