Darjeeing Tea and Tourism festival 22 Dec: Mahesh Bhatt offer to Darjeeling- wants to shoot in hill town

Darjeeling,TT, Dec. 22: The tourist fest in Darjeeling seems to have fulfilled its purpose: drawing tourists and film stars and directors as well to the hill town.

Mahesh Bhatt has sought permission to shoot in Darjeeling and has been given the nod by the district administration. The director, who has been invited for the closing ceremony of the Darjeeling Tea and Tourism Festival on January 5, has also asked for logistics of the hill town. That too, has been sent to him.

“Mahesh Bhatt had asked for the logistic data of the place and we have already sent them to him. He has also sought permission to shoot in the hills and this, too, had been granted to him in principle,” said district magistrate Saumitra Mohan,

A few decades ago, Bhatt had shot the Vinod Khanna- Shabana Azmi starrer Lahu Ke Do Rang in Darjeeling.

In fact, Darjeeling was a sought after destination for Bollywood from the 60s to the 90s. According to Sanjay Biswas, a Darjeeling-based writer, almost all major stars from that era had come to Darjeeling for shootings. “Raj Kapoor was here for Barsat, while Dev Anand was here many times for Mahal, Joshila (with Hema Malini) and Jab Pyar Kisise Hota Hai. Amitabh Bachchan was here with Rekha for Do Anjane and with Rakhi for Barsat Ki Ek Raat. Anurodh, with Rajesh Khana and Dimple Kapadia, was also shot in Darjeeling,” said Biswas.

But the film that is remembered the most is the Rajesh Khanna-Sharmila Tagore starrer Aradhana and its famous toy train scene.

Sources said actress Zeenat Aman, who had come for the inauguration of the fest on December 20, too is contemplating shooting a film here. “She visited several locations in the hills and was of the opinion that there would be value for money if the shooting takes place. Her only concern was about the agitation but after her visit to Darjeeling she seems convinced that the hills are peaceful,” said a source, who interacted with Zeenat during her stay in Darjeeling. The renewed statehood agitation for statehood had kept away tourists to Darjeeling for nearly three years.

But now with the signing of the agreement for the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, peace has returned.

In fact the Dum Maro Dum girl had extended her stay in Darjeeling by a day. “The next day she went to Phoobshering tea garden (about 6km from town) and was impressed by its natural beauty. Later in the evening she also went to some well-know restaurants and she enjoyed her stay here,” said the source.

If the Darjeeling festival manages to grab Bollywood’s attention, the festival will have managed to serve one of its purposes. Apart from the Shah Rukh Khan starrer Main Hoon Na, which was shot in Darjeeling in 2003-04, no big banner film has selected Darjeeling in recent times. Bollywood director Anurag Basu had shot at some locations at Darjeeling and Tindharia with Ranbir Kapoor for Barfee but the film is yet to be released.

Sources said a Darjeeling set has been recreated at Film City in Mumbai where the shooting is now on.

“I am told that Anurag Basu is also likely to come back to Darjeeling in February to complete his shoot,” said a district official.