What does it take to make a good film? Movies take us to the world which we can only imagine or read about in books. From historical palaces to fairytales, there are places that we’re transformed to, thanks to the vision of filmmakers. A carefully curated and crafted set plays the biggest part in making stories come to life on big screens. Let’s deep dive into some of the most fascinating and extravagant sets in Indian cinema.
Mughal-e-Azam
Decades have passed, but the magic of this 1960 film remains. Mughal prince Salim falls for a court dancer ‘Anarkali’. Emperor Akbar disapproves of the relationship and punishes the dancer. The production of the film spanned over a decade including 500 shooting days and cost a whooping ₹1.5 crore which was a humongous amount at the time. 150 workers worked for nearly two years to build the grand Mughal darbar. A replica of Lahore Fort’s Sheesh Mahal was built in Mohan Studios to film the iconic song Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya. The outdoor battle scenes were shot in Rajasthan over two months. More than a dozen cameras and 8,000 soldiers of the Indian Army participated in the shoot. The film was a blockbuster and one of the highest grossing films of Indian cinema for many years.
Devdas
Sanjay Leela Bhansali is known for being a visual master and perfectionist. His love for grandeur was evident in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and it only refined further in ‘Devdas’. It reportedly took approximately nine months to put together the grand sets for the film. ₹20 crores were spent on building Chandramukhi’s kotha with an artificial lake while Paro’s haveli was another spectacular designed set in the film. Bhansali left no stone unturned to make ‘Devdas’ a masterpiece. It paid off as Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai and Madhuri Dixit starrer became one of the highest grossing films of that year and remains one of the most loved & critically acclaimed Bollywood films.
Bombay Velvet
Well, not every expensive film turns out to be successful at the box office. Anurag Kashyap directorial reportedly spent ₹16 crore to replicate old Bombay. The film is set in the 50s and the sets were made in Sri Lanka on a 9.5 acres land with an overall budget of ₹115 crore. However, the film tanked at the box office and only made ₹43 crore.
Saawariya
Sanjay Leela Bhansali transported the audience to a fairy-tale town in this 2007 film. Art director Omung Kumar brought Bhansali’s fantasy to the silver screen by creating a fictional city with lakes, shops, streets, and a clock tower. From blue color grading to the carefully curated set designs, ‘Saawariya’ is remembered for more reasons besides being Ranbir Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor’s debut film.
Jodha Akbar
Ashutosh Gowariker showcased Mughal era glory to theatres in the period drama starring Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai. From the costumes to the sets, Jodha Akbar is remembered for more than one reason. Set designer Nitin Desai took reference from various pictures of Agra and Jaipur to bring the Mughal luxury to life. The film features stunning replicas of the Amer Fort, Agra Fort, Deewan-i-aam, Deewan-i-khas, Jodha Mahal and Mughal Gardens.
