Few places are as gorgeous and fortified as Rajasthan, India. Once home to the maharajahs, this northern state is a kaleidoscope of sepia-toned fortresses, painted villages, deserts and lakes.
India’s largest state, Rajasthan, has all kinds of landscapes and topography, boasting parts of the Thar Desert, the Tiger Ridge Hills of Sawaimdpur and the Lake Palace of Udaipur. Of course, it’s also home to some of the sereneest historic cities and religious sites in all of India.
A truly one-of-a-kind region, the intricate beauty of Rajasthan has captivated filmmakers around the world for generations. The great Bengali director Satyajit, even he Ray, could not resist the tanned charm of his Fort in Jaisalmer.
In this list, we take a look at five films that not only capture Rajasthan’s rare beauty, but celebrate it. Visit some of the state’s most amazing cities and soak up everything they have to offer.
5 films that capture the beauty of Rajasthan:
Junun (Paul Thomas Anderson, 2015)
In 2015, Paul Thomas Anderson accompanied Johnny Greenwood and Israeli poet, composer and musician Shai Ben Tool on a visit to Jodhpur, Rajasthan, hosted by the Maharajah. Over the next few weeks, Anderson documented Greenwood and Tsuru’s collaboration with Rajasthan Express musicians. Junun album.
Greenwood said, “I have concerns about how so-called ‘word music’ is recorded and treated, and I’ve joined some of India’s top musicians to help make some truly great music. Focusing on the group’s rehearsals and recordings, Anderson’s documentary captures the energy and nuances of North Indian music while capturing the beauty of Jodhpur with its looming 15th-century fortress and Sivania’s blue old city. To celebrate.
Darjeeling Limited (Wes Anderson, 2007)
Wes Anderson traveled to Rajasthan in 2007 to shoot his next film as “organically” as possible. Darjeeling Limitedhis film about three estranged brothers who decide to travel by train through North India to heal their broken relationship.
All the Indian-set scenes were shot in Rajasthan, and Jade Darjeeling Limited began their journey in the city of Jodhpur. From there, the brothers slide down towards Jaisalmer or the ‘Golden City’. Once home to a tribe of warrior merchants called Rajputs, this honey-coloured city is home to his 12th-century fortress, featured in the Mahabharata, the foundational Indian epic. Anderson also traveled to the city of Udaipur to shoot scenes set in the Patricia Monastery. “The locations needed to feel secluded and dramatic,” says designer Friedberg of his lodge, which was used to film these scenes.
Duvida (Mani Kaur, 1973)
Boasting a shooting technique that makes Wes Anderson cry with envy, Duvida is a furiously beautiful supernatural romance from revered Hindi director Mani Kaur, born in Jodhpur in 1944.
Based on the novel bu Vijayadan Detha, the film tells the story of a newlywed couple living in the windswept hinterland of Rajasthan. When her husband, the son of a merchant, keeps getting in the way of his work, but is kicked out at work, the ghost falls in love with his wife and adopts his appearance to get closer to the object of his affection. Shot on a tight budget with limited access to equipment, the film is both a love letter to Vijayadan Deta’s birthplace, the village of Borna in Tesir Bilala, and an exploration of women’s sexual freedom. There is also.
Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (John Madden, 2012)
Following a group of British retirees immersing themselves in (and sometimes withdrawing from) Indian culture for the first time, Best Exotic Marigold Hotel It captures the vibrancy of Rajasthan through the eyes of an individual who has spent a lifetime in drizzly old England.
Most of the filming took place in the cities of Udaipur and Jaipur, which is home to the labyrinthine Tripolia Bazaar. Ravla Khempur, on the other hand, was formerly the palace of his Khempur tribal chief and used as the site of a hotel. About 50 miles away from the hustle and bustle of Udaipur, this his 17th-century countryside hotel was once the haveli of Kemraj his Dhadivadia. Dadivadia was gifted the land after killing his two assassins hired to dispatch Jagat Singh II, Rana of Udaipur and the builder of the building. Taj Lake Palace in the center of Lake Pichola.
cobra gypsy (Rafael Treza, 2015)
In 2015, French filmmaker Raphaël Treza spent three months in the Rajasthan desert on the Pakistan border to film “the most iconic gypsy tribe of Rajasthan”, the Kalberia. During his travels, he managed to earn the trust of the snake-charming tribe and immortalize one of the most fascinating nomadic groups in the world.
Due to his base camp in Pushkar, the City of Surprise, Treza was able to travel through Rajasthan with a young Kalbelia called Viram. Traveling by motorbike, Treza unbiasedly captures an often overlooked aspect of northern India’s rich and complex heritage. You can watch the full movie below.
