6 Bollywood Movies that Perfectly Capture the Essence of Indian Cities

Want to celebrate the spirit of a city? Write a song about it! Since its inception, Bollywood has popularized cities and towns from across India—some obscure ones too. What’s more, there are also a bunch of movies that are, in their entirety, dedicated to celebrating the essence of a particular city or town. Rightfully so, these movies are also named after the cities. Let’s have a look at some of them, shall we?

Mission Kashmir

The valleys of Kashmir have always been symbolic of love and rebellion, and the eternal beauty of Heaven on Earth takes the cinematic experience to a new level each time a movie is shot here. Mission Kashmir portrayed the lives of those who stay under the pressure of conflict and war in this breathtakingly beautiful land. It successfully showed us the disparity between a Kashmir dominated by terror, while showing us the beauty of the state through snow-peaked Himalayas, Dal Lake, apple trees and pink flowers.

Read More: Places to visit in Kashmir

Go Goa Gone

Bollywood introduced zombies to Indian cinema with Go Goa Gone, a horror comedy that showed us an unexplored side of night parties in Goa. The movie shows three friends who’re excited about a rave party and a private island amidst blue waters, and what better place than Goa to find this slice of heaven? Those white sand beaches packed with young people dancing to trance music make Goa the party capital of India for most of us, don’t they?

Dilli 6

A part of the capital city that almost lies forgotten today, this movie has captured the essence of Old Delhi beautifully. From drying pickle on rooftops and singing songs, to flying kites and changing outfits at metro stations to fit in with the crowd, Dilli 6 shows the amicable and hospitable side of the families living in the narrow by-lanes of purani Dilli, balancing their lives between tradition and modernity.

Chennai Express

In order to immerse ashes in Rameswaram, the protagonist is seen embarking upon a journey that takes him to the picturesque South India. Bright blue waters, gigantic waterfalls and lush green forests provide for some visual stimulation, while the culture and warm hospitality showcased in the movie successfully represents the spirit of Chennai and its people.

Read More: Top 5 things to do in Chennai

Once Upon a Time In Mumbai

This movie portrays what the underbelly of Mumbai looked like in the 1970s. Back then, when Mumbai was still called Bombay, the real power lay in the hands of those who had the money to dictate their will. This movie has shown us the dark side of this power struggle, with the poor resorting to crime to make ends meet. It also traces how crime made its way to the international waters through this city in Maharashtra. Love, life, lies and the will to keep moving on— this movie captured the eternal struggle for survival against odds in this bustling metropolis.

Read More: Top 10 things to do in Mumbai

Gangs of Wasseypur

This movie is centered around the coal mafia of Dhanbad, and the politics, struggle and revenge dynamics between the families living in the region. The narrative cleverly takes us through the history of Wasseypur and Dhanbad, through the 1940s to the 1990s, and shows us how the power struggles were initiated when the land was passed on from the British to the Muslims, and its redistribution to Bengal, Bihar and now Jharkhand.

Want to know more about a city? Watch a movie on it! We’re quite certain that Bollywood does justice to the true essence of our Indian cities.