11 films about India and the Middle East!

I really love beautiful and interesting thematic films, be it films about cooking, wine or a country (France, Italy, Ireland). So today's selection is dedicated to films about India and the Middle East. Incredibly beautiful, touching, and sometimes terrifying films about a completely different culture and traditions.

1. Shantaram (TV series 2022)

"Shantaram" is a series based on the famous novel by Australian writer Gregory David Roberts. I'll be honest, I haven't read the book, but now I want to. Since, alas, a continuation of the series is not planned.

1980s. Lin escapes from an Australian prison and gets to India, where his adventures begin.

Filming locations:

— Bhopal, India

— Docklands Studios, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

— Pentridge Prison, Coburg, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

2. Aladdin (2019)

The film turned out to be unexpectedly pleasant in all respects, and also presented a very unexpected surprise in the form of a genie played by Will Smith. The film is very beautiful, which is why I wanted to include it in the selection. By the way, the film was shot in Jordan.

A young thief named Aladdin wants to become a prince to marry Princess Jasmine. Meanwhile, the vizier of Agrabah, Jafar, intends to seize power over Agrabah, and to do this, he seeks to obtain the magic lamp kept in the Cave of Wonders, access to which is allowed only to the one called the "diamond in the rough", and this person is none other than Aladdin himself.

Filming locations:

— Longcross, Surrey, England, UK

— Petra, Jordan

— Wadi Rum, Jordan.

3. Victoria & Abdul (2017)

Victoria & Abdul is dedicated to the last years of the reign of the august person of all Europe, Queen Victoria. The film was directed by Stephen Frears and is based on the novel of the same name by writer Shrabani Basu.

Having ascended the throne at the age of 18, Victoria became the Queen of Great Britain, Ireland, and later the Empress of India. Among the countless subjects of the crown was the handsome Abdul Karim. Having appeared, it would seem, out of nowhere, he turned into a very influential person at court. He was envied, intrigues were woven against him, and his relationship with the queen was discussed not only in England, but throughout the world.

4. Viceroy's House (2016)

Viceroy's House is a 2017 British-Indian historical drama film directed by Gurinder Chadha, chronicling the circumstances of the handover of power from the British to the Indian national government.

In 1947, Lord Mountbatten is appointed as the last Viceroy with the task of handing over India back to its people and occupies the best floors of the mansion belonging to the British rulers, while 500 Hindu, Muslim and Sikh servants live in the lower part of the house.

Filming locations:— London, England, UK— Rashtrapati Bhavan, Delhi, India— Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India.

5. Marigold Hotel: Check-In Continues (2015)

The second part of the fascinating film about not-so-young people who came to India.

The Marigold Hotel wouldn't be exotic if it didn't put two strangers in the same room; and it wouldn't be the best if nothing good came out of it.

Filming locations:— London, England, UK— Spain— India.

6. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011)

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is a feature film, a tragicomedy by British director John Madden, telling the story of a group of elderly people who decide to move to an elite hotel in Jaipur.

The film tells the story of a group of British pensioners who decide to "retire" to a less expensive and much more exotic India. Enticed by the advertisement for the newly restored Marigold Hotel and in anticipation of a life full of pleasure and idleness, they arrive at the place, only to discover that the hotel, in fact, is only a pale shadow of its former glory. But despite the fact that the surrounding environment is far from the luxury they imagined, their shared adventures irrevocably change each of them, and they realize that they can start living anew and find love if they let go of the past...

Filming locations: - The filmmakers chose the Ravla Khempur Hotel for the filming. It is located in the small village of Khempur, 50 kilometers from the large city of Udaipur, Rajasthan. In the past, it was a royal palace, then adapted as a hotel for tourists. The owner of the hotel, Ravla Khempur, was so pleased with the work of the decorators that he decided to leave all the rooms and premises as is for future clients. - In addition to the Ravla Khempur Hotel, most of the filming took place in the capital of Rajasthan, Jaipur.

7. Eat Pray Love (2010)

Not at all a banal film, shot based on a wonderful book (which I also recommend reading). There is a lot of Italian language, thoughts, Rome and Italian food (in the first half of the film) ... Bali and India (in the second half of the film).

Married woman Elizabeth Gilbert one day realizes that she is living a completely different life than she wanted. After a painful divorce, she sets off on a journey around the world that will help her discover new horizons and get to know herself.

Filming locations:— New York City, New York, USA— L’Antica Pizzeria Da Michele, Naples, Campania, Italy— Naples, Campania, Italy— Rome, Lazio, Italy— Bali, Indonesia— Delhi, India— Pataudi Palace, Pataudi, Haryana, India.

8. Sex and the City 2 (2010)

The events of the film "Sex and the City 2" will show viewers a continuation of how everyone's favorite heroines cope with their personal life in such a big city as New York. More adventures, acquaintances and intrigues ... But this time their meeting will take place in an exotic paradise on the other side of the world. If you dig deep, it turns out that the film was shot in Morocco. But it is said about Abu Dhabi. And since the film has a lot of beautiful exotica, I could not help but include it in this selection.

Wild fun, flamboyant fashion and loyal friendship: Sex and the City 2 delivers all of that and more as Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda give us another slice of their lives in the Big Apple – and beyond – as they navigate their business and personal lives in this truly sizzling sequel. What happens when the all-important word, “I do,” is said? Life becomes everything the girls have always dreamed of, but it wouldn’t be Sex and the City if fate didn’t throw in a few surprises… this time in the form of a glamorous, sun-drenched adventure that takes the girls from New York City to one of the most luxurious, exotic and picturesque places on earth, where the fun never ends and there’s something mysterious around every corner. At the most opportune moment, four bosom friends make a kind of escape and find themselves involved in a struggle with traditional ideas about marriage, motherhood, etc., etc. In the end, their opponents simply don't stand a chance.

Filming locations:— Mandarin Oriental Jnan Rahma Hotel— The Amanjena Hotel— Bellagio— Beverly Wilshire Hotel— The Grandhotel Pupp— One&Only Ocean Club— Hotel del Coronado.

9. 3 Idiots (2009)

3 Idiots is a 2009 Indian comedy-drama film directed by Rajkumar Hirani and starring Aamir Khan, Madhavan, and Kareena Kapu.

Two friends set out to find their missing friend. On this journey, they will have to constantly get involved in long-forgotten arguments, upset someone else's wedding, and attend a funeral. They remember their friend, the irrepressible and free-thinking Rancho, who somehow miraculously burst into their lives and changed everything in them.

10. The Darjeeling Limited (2007)

Three brothers who hate each other travel to India. An American adventure tragicomedy about family ties, directed by Wes Anderson.

Three idiot brothers who haven't spoken to each other for a year after their father's death find themselves on a train traveling through India. They find themselves there after heeding the call of the eldest of them to reunite on a journey that should help them understand and find themselves, restoring weakened family ties. However, this good action soon goes off course: the distrustful relatives begin to quarrel and try to fight, as a result of which they end up marooned in the middle of the desert. And, of course, this is far from all the troubles that await them, especially if you know that the true purpose of the journey undertaken by the seeker of spiritual balance is somewhat different from what he told his brothers.

Filming Locations:— Woodville Palace Hotel, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India— Delhi, India— Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India— Indira Gandhi International Airport, Vasant Vihar, South West Delhi, Delhi, India— Mumbai, Maharashtra, India— IIM Campus, Bangalore, Karnataka, India— Pangong Tso, Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir, India.

11. Gandhi (1982)

This award-winning biographical drama tells the story of a man who made history in India. Mahatma Gandhi was the ideologist of a mass people's movement, calling for non-violent methods of struggle for the freedom of his country from British rule. The result of the great leader's life was an independent Indian state that did not lose its identity during the years of colonial expansion.

In 1869, when Gandhi was born, his country was still the crown jewel of the British Empire and one of Queen Victoria's jewels. On January 30, 1948, the day he was assassinated, India was free. This was the fruit of his labors, the labors of a long, titanic life.