Locations in Europe: In and around London, UK
Storyline
Director/Producer: Vipul Shah (Director and Producer)
Line Producer/Executive Producer/Associate Producer: Joshua Clement, Danny L. Laloo, Ravi Sarin
Star(s): Akshay Kumar, Katrina Kaif, Rishi Kapoor
Songs/Dance: Songs filmed in different locations of London
Indian/ International Crew: Indian and International
Language: Hindi
Film Location Analysis
By Shikha Jhingan
The film opens with panoramic views of London, which are intercut with shots of South Asian immigrants in busy streets, places of worship like mosques and gurudwaras, and the streets of South Hall. This opening sequence uses strobe effects, manipulation of shutter speed, and overlapping images to capture people from diverse ethnic and religious communities in London. The montage combines conventional documentary-style images with fast-paced editing, dissolves, swish pans, and aerial views of the bustling city full of people. The sequence is crafted skillfully to frame London as a cosmopolitan multi-racial city with saree shops, eateries, convenience stores, video shops with ‘Bollywood’ written on the sign board, and eateries. In the final section, the sequence shows people of different ethnicities, like East Asians from different racial backgrounds, including young boys hanging out with each other. The song ‘Teri yaad saath hai" (I am lonely, but your memories are always with me) plays in the background.
In the second part of the film, we see London from Jasmeet and Arjun’s points of view. These include the London Eye view on the river Thames, South Bank. Manmohan (Rishi Kapoor) dislikes the fact that Jasmeet hangs out with Charlie, an elite Englishman who owns the company in which she works. Charlie drives flashy cars and goes to nightclubs. In one sequence, we see Jasmeet driving with Charlie to an elite part of London. Next, he drives her to Buckingham Palace, disappears for a while, and then comes out with a lookalike of Prince Charles. Jasmeet is seen waiting in the car, and it is through her point of view that we see the palace and the prince in waiting.
Feeling guilty about hurting Arjun’s feelings, Jasmeet promises to take him sightseeing in London. We see Arjun and Jasmeet becoming more comfortable with each other as they walk through tourist sites like the Millennium Bridge with St. Paul’s Cathedral in the background. Other locations include the London Eye, with a view from a passenger vehicle, and other iconic locations like the Royal Parks and the areas around the Tate Modern.
When Jasmeet decides to marry Charlie, their parents arrange for an engagement party on a luxury yacht on the Thames. This sequence foregrounds racial tensions between the two families. Charlie challenges Arjun to a rugby match between the English (mainly white) and the South Asian team. The two teams rough it out with each other at the Windsor Wheels Soccer Club, but the South Asians win with Arjun’s agile performance, and Charlie behaves like a bad loser.
In a parallel narrative, Jasmeet’s childhood friend Imran (Upen Patel) is keen to marry Susan (Tiffany Mulheron) but feels uncomfortable when Susan’s parents ask him to convert to Christianity and change his name to Immanuel. Imran’s father, Parvez (Jawed Sheikh), has his roots in Karachi, and he is a close friend of Manmohan across the religious divide. The film locates South Asian families such as Parvez’s in relatively humble neighbourhoods, while both Susan and Charlie’s families are organically linked to aristocratic estates with manicured gardens and grand interiors. In contrast to the opening montage, the spaces occupied and navigated by the white characters are sanitised and devoid of people and activity. The location of Charlie’s home is Ditchley Park. Charlie also takes Jasmeet to Wrotham House, where he wants to arrange his wedding. Later, taking her inside, he tries to have sex with her, but Jasmeet feels uncomfortable and leaves. The next sequence shows Jasmeet walking back alone on the Windsor Walk, moving away from the upper-class architectural site.
In a crucial sequence, we see Arjun entering a mosque in London, where he is surprised to see Imran. Imran tells Arjun how he was being forced to change his faith and become a Christian by Susan’s family. This sequence resonates with the opening scenes of the film, which capture people practising different faiths in London. However, this time, through the conversations and spatial metaphors, it depicts the youth of the South Asian community moving towards stronger ties with the community and its faith. This becomes a slight divergence from the cosmopolitan image articulated in the opening sequence, where people from very diverse communities are seen intermingling with each other on the streets.
The final sequence of the film was shot at Church Marlowe, where Arjun brings Jasmeet to finally marry Charlie. At the last minute, Jasmeet realises that Arjun is the right person for her and makes a run towards him. The last shot shows her running towards the camera at Marlowe Bridge, with her family cheering and waving at her.
