New Delhi, Sep 21 : The Swiss Alps, the Scottish
Highlands, British castles and Spanish beaches - these breathtaking
European destinations have for long fascinated Indian filmmakers. Enter
Slovenia, a tiny land nestled in central Europe that has just received
the attention of Bollywood's overseas palette.
The first one to introduce this Adriatic jewel to Indian cinema is Telugu film "Nayak".
Filmmaker
V.V. Vinayak, along with lead actors
Ram Charan and
Kajal Agrawal, shot
song sequences in the postcard locales of Slovenia, which has a
population of just over two million, this month. The stunning
underground environs of Postojna caves, the medieval coastal town of
Piran and the alpine resort town of Bled played the perfect backdrops
for the duo's dance moves.
Zoran Jankovic, the mayor of the capital city of Ljubljana, gave the clap for the film's first shot.
"This
is the first time that an Indian film was shot in Slovenia. In case of
'Nayak', local authorities were quite positive and attaining permissions
for filming at popular spots was a smooth process," Indian Ambassador
to Slovenia Jayakar Jerome told IANS in an email interview.
"My
doors are open to all Indian citizens. I am prepared and willing to
knock on the doors of local authorities in Slovenia if such endeavours
serve the interest of Indian filmmakers, businessmen and citizens," he
added.
According to Jerome, the country's beauty, connectivity,
facilitation and cost-effectiveness are positives in attracting
Bollywood and Indian regional cinema.
The local authorities in
Slovenia feel there are several qualities that distinguish the
picturesque country and should put it on the map of any Bollywood
filmmaker.
"I am very pleased that India has finally discovered
Slovenia. It's time for Indian cinema to feel Slovenia," Janez Fajfar,
mayor of the beautiful city of Bled, told IANS.
"Wherever you
travel in Slovenia, its nature is utterly imposing. Wherever you turn,
everything is green. Wherever you go, a rapidly changing landscape
presents enormous opportunities for filming," feels Masa Puklavec of the
Slovenian Tourism Board.
For Jan Orsic, project coordinator at
the Ljubljana Tourism Convention Bureau, Slovenia's USP is the abundance
of contrasting scenery at short distances.
"Slovenia is safe,
comes under the Schengen visa regime, offers very good value for money
and is authentic. Most importantly, we have a very good and widespread
fluency of English," he added.
Pointing to the smooth
facilitation provided by local authorities in the country, an official
of the Slovenian tourism ministry said: "During the recent shooting of
'Nayak', we provided quick permissions and single window clearances to
the requests from the film crew."
By Kunja Joshi
© IANS 
