Locations in Europe: Scotland
Storyline
Star(s): Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, and Rani Mukerji
Songs/Dance: One song shot in Scotland.
Indian/ International Crew: Indian crew
Language: Hindi
Director/Producer Director: Imtiaz Ali, Produced by Illuminati Films and Maddock Films
Director/Producer: Karan Johar (Director); Dharma Productions (Producer)
Film Location Analysis
By Ranjani Mazumdar
The movement from college life to the present is mounted through lavish sets—from school grounds, classrooms, auditoriums, and children’s camps to the interiors of the characters’ homes and hotel lobbies. Barring one shot right at the beginning of the film of the Gateway of India, with a caption that reads “Bombay 8 years later,” we have absolutely no reason to believe in the existence of any specific location. Instead, a dazzling display of interiors and natural landscapes is deployed to depict teen life, adult romance, and marriage rituals.
Kuch Kuch Hota Hai evokes a series of spatial coordinates that link with representations from comic books, international design manuals, television advertising, and Hollywood teen films. The outside space of the world at large is completely erased as in Dil To Pagal Hai (1997). Designer wear, brand names, and product placement create the panorama of the interior, reinforcing what Hal Foster refers to as the permeability of design in contemporary capitalism. The terrain of romance and desire works through the circulation of commodity signs and design, expressing the cultural values and attitudes of the youth in the 1990s. Design in KKHH is a direct product of popular cultures of consumption, and the role of advertising is one of the most significant influences. Through the exploration of architectural interiors, KKHH expresses both the desire and the anxiety that marked the cultural politics of globalisation in its initial years. In its virtual spaces, we see the powerful play of the commodity as a simulated sign where both nostalgia for an older architecture and the desire for the hypermodern get structured around a tale of love, grief, and reunion.
The title song of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai draws into its visual design a landscape of Scotland that is predominantly made up of old castles now present as ancient and medieval ruins meant for visitors to see. These monumental traces are couched in deep histories, and the weather plays a major role in lending an imaginative expressiveness to the topography. These sites are usually surrounded by either water or lush green grass and wild foliage.
The fantasy song involves a build-up to the triangular love story between the three characters. The setting therefore carries a dreamlike quality that was typical of song sequences using foreign locations in the 1990s. There is no justification for the transition to Scotland; it is simply a site with a texture that can be drawn into the song. There is no desire to establish the coherence of the different locations used. Instead, creating a series of frames drives the way the sites are sculpted.
The film moves back and forth between different locations, creating a fragmentary relationship with old castles and their architectural traces. Eilean Donan is a recognised castle and icon located on a little island that is a mile away from a village named Dornie and surrounded by forests and mountains. This site is extremely popular with tourists. It was originally built in the 13th century and restored from a state of ruin in the 20th century to reopen in 1932. In the first half of the 20th century, a bridge was added, which only enhanced the castle's appearance. The photographic output of this site has made it perhaps the most iconic and familiar landmark in Scotland, and the place has been a favourite for advertisements, television, and films. This is the first site we see in the song after aerial views of the three characters running across grassy terrain.
Some portions of the song take place at Inchmahome Priory, a 13th century monastery with peaceful surroundings and a collection of stone memorials. The island offers breath-taking walks and picnics by the water. Its wildlife and wooded ambience add to the sense of calm. The architectural remains appear as archways, a church without a roof, and an enclosed garden. Shah Rukh Khan’s character Rahul can be seen walking through these spaces and performing the classic gestures that became associated with the star in the years to come.
Tantallon, a clifftop castle with an imposing curtain wall and many small chambers, is one of the other sites used in the song. There is much to explore here and superb views of Bass Rock, approximately one mile from Tantallon Castle to the east of North Berwick. This tiny island appears in the background, with both Rahul and Tina swaying in the foreground. The space includes rocks beaten by both weather and water, the ruins of an ancient chapel, and the rocky remains of the castle. The atmosphere is textured with a sense of isolated wildness.
Kajol’s character Anjali is often placed in front of Black Rock houses in Glencoe. The landscape here has been painted by many artists, and today the village has art galleries and a combination of mountain terrain, a coastline, waterfalls, and lakes. Hikers and climbers are drawn to this place because of the diverse nature of the topography.
Given the selection of locations, carefully orchestrated to capture a fantasy moment in the film, and the subsequent popularity of the song and the film, it is not surprising that this one song has spawned a series of tourist videos following the trail of the song. These videos are all available on YouTube, establishing the ways in which the act of mapping on screen connects with those watching the film.
Additional Information & Links
http://movie-locations.com/movies/k/Kuch-Kuch-Hota-Hai.php
Tourism
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufCLh8smWHw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EO0JpiZAZcY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvc25Qarso4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymsl0zI14eM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PzZ5vQIFJU
http://www.scotlandthemovie.com/movies/fkuch.html
The locations in Scotland used for KKHH have become part of a planned trip for tour operators. These tours have become a part of Scotland’s planning for the future of its tourism industry. In the words of Malcolm Roughead, Chief Executive of VisitScotland, “Bollywood has an enduring love affair with Scotland’s cities, castles, lochs and glens with more than 20 filmmakers using our wonderful landscapes as a backdrop since 1998…With Scotland’s continued appeal to set-jetting film fans, the 20th anniversary of the Bollywood classic Kuch Kuch Hota Hai presents the ideal opportunity for the Scottish tourism industry and tour operators to engage with India, which continues to be an important growth market. The future of Scottish tourism lies beyond our shores. The India business development mission is one of the many ways we are inspiring, supporting and encouraging businesses to match their global growth ambitions.”
