Udaipur is a treat for the eyes of every tourist. It has become one of the most sought after tourist destinations of India due to several reasons. These reasons range from beautiful and grand palaces, colorful shopping markets and of course as a popular shooting spot for a number of Indian Commercial movies.
The backdrop of the large Ambrai Ghat, which is one of the largest lakes of the city of Udaipur, the Rajputana essence exuded by the palatial buildings make it an ideal place for honeymooners in India. Even the hotels and resorts that have been recently developed in the city are crafted and built like palaces imbibing the kingly culture of the state of Rajasthan. It is also one of the most romantic spots of the state, away from the harsh desert winds of the Thar desert, which again establishes the reason for its popularity among movie makers.
Speaking of Movies, a recent Bollywood super hit was shot in some of the most beautiful spots of the city, which is the Ambrai Ghat. The name of the movie is Ram-Leela (Goliyon ki Ras-leela) which was directed by the very talented Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Quite a few significant scenes were shot in this part of Udaipur ending up raising the number of tourists in the city. The director and the team of cameramen have captured the beauty of the town very skilfully and have shot some of the most intimate scenes of the movie in this romantic town of Rajasthan.
Ram-Leela Scenes Shot in Udaipur
For those who haven’t seen the movie, it is said to have been inspired by Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet romantic drama, wherein two families are posed as rivals and the children of the rivals fall in love with one another. With time the enmity aggravates and the situation worsens, so much so that the lovers are forced to elope to a place far away from their homes.
In Ram-Leela, Ram and Leela both belong to the enemy villages based in the colorful state of Gujarat. Following the worsening relationships between the two rival ruling families of the two villages in question, they elope through the Thar Desert to the town of Udaipur, thinking that no one will find them there.
They sort refuge in a simple hotel lined by the side of the Ambrai Ghat, where they get married after a lot of emotional upheavals between the couple. Before they get married, they end up fighting with each other due to the rivalry between the two families. This fight takes place at the steps of the Ambrai Ghat at night, which provides a panoramic and eerie background to the entire scene. Certain buildings in the backdrop are illuminated while some are dark, picturing the physical, mental and emotional state of the couple. It showcases that fact that even in the darkness of fights, murders and killings, the shimmering light of love can blossom and attain its full form.
Following the marriage of Ram and Leela, Ram is suspiciously found and taken away by his friends from the village to celebrate his marriage with Leela. There he ends up drinking a lot and passes out while his friends deceive him in to staying away from Leela. This scene is also featured at a restaurant by the Hanuman Ghat which is a part of the massive and resplendent Ambrai Lake.
When he wakes up in the morning hearing Leela screaming out his name, he watches her being taken away by her cousin and tries to save her but fails. While she’s being dragged away, he is on the opposite bank of the Lake and jumps in the lake to swim across and stop her. This was the last scene shot in the town of Udaipur and marks the turning point of the entire plot of the movie.
Getting a piece of one of the most romantic places of Rajasthan in a landmark movie of Bollywood, has actually added Udaipur to the list of many travelers and honeymoon couples. When you pay a visit to Udaipur, make sure that you get a look at the shooting spots of Ram-Leela, to enjoy the sheer beauty of the Ambrai Lake and Ghat.