Remember the houses from Piku, Kapoor & Sons and Dear Zindagi? These filmi homes told unique stories

The mansion from Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani was recently in the news after a man was murdered at a wedding on the property. But all filmi homes don’t have such dark stories. Directors go to great lengths to choose the right location for their film. For example, Shoojit Sircar chose a house with a study in Delhi’s CR Park for the typically Bengali home of Piku. Shakun Batra picked a 100-year-old hotel in Coonoor as the Kapoor family seat in Kapoor & Sons. Here are some more stories about iconic homes you see on screen.

The Kapoor HouseMovie: Kapoor & Sons
location: Coonoor
Shakun Batra says he was on vacation in Coonoor and thought the hill station was beautiful. “Initially, Kapoor & Sons wasn’t set there. I went back and found this 100-year-old hotel and converted it into an old colonial house.” Describing popular scenes that people remember, he says, “There is a scene when there’s a plumber in the house and the family is fighting. The layout of the house helped me create that specific moment. There’s another scene where the family has a singing session. It’s impossible to create such moments unless the location provides for it.”

Kaira’s House
Movie: Dear Zindagi
Location: Goa
Gauri Shinde recalls how she is frequently being blamed for transforming Parra Road (the location of Shah Rukh Khan and Alia Bhatt’s cycling scene), into a bustling street, with people visiting the stretch to capture photographs. Shinde explains Kaira’s (Alia Bhatt) parents’ home in Goa was real and so was her friend’s home, where she stays. “I did an extensive recce in Goa because that’s where 75% of the film was shot and the villa as the parents’ home seemed just right. It was what I had thought of while writing the film. Kaira’s friend’s house where she lives, is on Divar island, It is a bungalow that isn’t too spacious, and yet gives young vibes.”

The Rathore palaceMovie: Khoobsurat
Location: Bikaner
After travelling to seven cities, Laxmi Niwas Palace was finalised for Khoobsurat. “We travelled a lot before we found the Rathore Palace. The other palaces looked too modern, and we wanted a palace that looked lived in. The next challenge was the interiors. The idea was to make it look imposing yet very homely. For example, we installed the chequered tiles in the aangan. We converted the original dining area into a living room,” says director Shashanka Ghosh.

Banerjee houseMovie: Piku
Location: Delhi
The house in Delhi’s CR Park is central to the theme of Piku. “In Bengali homes, the study area is a special place. We had a shot of Deepika cleaning the books and her father is also a voracious reader, who would quote from different sources, creating the impression of a cultured family. The study area is an important part of the film,” recalls director Shoojit Sircar.

Aditi’s houseMovie: Jaane tu... ya jaane na
Location: Alibaug
Abbas Tyrewala says one of the most important lessons you learn as a filmmaker is that what you see has nothing to do with the way you shoot it. “Aditi’s house had to reflect old money and be very different from Sushant’s (Ayaz Khan), who was nouveau riche. After hunting for a budget-friendly house in Mumbai, someone suggested a family home in Alibaug that was due for painting. That worked out perfectly because I could get the colour scheme I wanted. With VFX we pasted a few buildings to make it look like south Mumbai,” says the director.

TWO GOAN FAVOURITESKaran Johar’s directorial Ghost Stories has a Goa connection, with a segment of the anthology having been shot here. Pedro Figueiredo, owner of The Figueiredo Mansion in Loutulim, says, “For Ghost Stories, the team was looking at a Goan setup and Goa can offer ideal locations for shoots, as the houses are much bigger and spacious as compared to a Mumbai setup. Plus, the landscape to shoot here is also great.”
Other movies shot here.
Looop LapetaMurphy Sound Trippin with Ankur Tiwari

Maendra Alvares owns Casa Araujo Alvares, which is now referred to as the Singham house, as the first film in the series was shot here. “Many teams had come to see the place before it was selected. The movie was finally shot in places both inside and outside the property. Tourists now want to visit the house only because Singham was shot here,” says Maendra.

Other movies shot here
Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey Bernie