When movie locations turn tourist hotspots

More often than not, it takes a movie to make you pack your bags, and venture out to the unexplored. Last year the success of Imitiaz Ali's Tamasha pinned Corsica, Spain, to the tourism map of Indians while the magnificent Athirappilly waterfalls, showcased in Baahubali, attracted visitors from all over the South after its release.
What brought these places to the limelight was that they were integral to the storyline and grew on the viewers, prompting many to pay a visit.Some of these scenic locales weren't necessarily even tourist destinations before they found their place in reel. With the success of recent films such as Ennu Ninte Moideen, Anarkali and Premam, Mollywood too has been spurring tourists on to check out the hitherto unexplored local spots. We bring you some of the locales that are seeing a steady increase in tourism:
Aluva
Film: Premam
Premam broke all box office records and everything about it was celebrated, from its character Malar to the songs, one of which showed the Aluvappuzha in all its beauty. College students in Kerala stayed in a Premam hangover for months, and many of them wanted to see the place where George met Malar and fell in love. Says Mithun Raj, a student of a city college, 'Aspiring scriptwriters have been said to visit Aluva and take strolls by the Aluvappuzha for inspiration. Also, not many knew that the UC College, Aluva, was the location of the film.' Mithun shares that many of his friends have have visited the college, and took pictures of themselves in the shooting locales. 'We clicked selfies at the classrooms, the ring-about where Malar meets George for the first time,' he says. 'It felt like Malar teacher is still there somewhere.'
Lakshadweep
Film: Anarkali
It's no secret that Lakshadweep is breathtakingly beautiful. But on seeing it in its full glory in the Prithviraj movie Anarkali, a lot of Malayalis have set sail to the islands in the south western coast of the country. Sethu Raj, who just finished his law from Ernakulam Law College, says, 'The spectacular visuals in the film rolled like a tourism manual. It showed all its landmarks including the lighthouse, the culture and the language and also deep-sea diving.' While he hasn't visited the islands yet, an opportunity is on the cards soon. 'Two of our classmates announced that they were in love, and going to get married. The girl is from Lakshadweep and the wedding will be held there. We are all going for sure!'
Gavi
Film: Ordinary
Even before Ordinary hit theatres, the lush green backdrop in the trailers caught the attention of the viewers, who wondered which were the winding roads the 'ordinary' bus was climbing through. The film's location, Gavi, was mentioned right at the beginning, and the little hillside village and its culture is seen through the eyes of the character played by Kunchacko Boban.
Ever since, Gavi has been a hotspot for those who wanted a holiday away from the heat, as well as those who wanted to catch a glimpse of the film's locations including the bridge from which Asif Ali's character tragically fell to his death.
Says B Suresh Kumar, a businessman from Alakkode, 'I had heard about Gavi but had never been there, but on seeing the film, my friends and I got inspired. We made the trip, and found it to be more beautiful than in the movie! The locals knew exactly where to direct us, as many tourists have been coming there after watching the film. The climax scene was shot in Kakki Dam, which we visited.'
Their trails also took them to 'a breath-taking place' called Seethathode nearby, which was practically 'discovered' after the movie, he says. 'Kattadikunnu was the area where the bus is shown to have a breakdown in the movie, and we found the place as well.' Gavi continues to be a tourist hotspot, by word of mouth, regardless of whether the visitors watched the movie.
Mukkam Film: Ennu Ninte Moideen
Until Ennu Ninte Moideen released, Mukkam was just another sleepy little village in the outskirts of Kozhikode. But the film's impact was such that Mukkam has become a centre for 'lovers's pilgrimage'. 'Couples in relationships as well as those who loved the film are visiting Mukkam from across the state, to see the village in which Moideen and Kanchanamala lived their lives and the Iruvazhinji puzha, which took Moideen's life,' says Dr Manoj, a resident of Mukkam.
The visit is not complete without meeting the real Kanchanamala, he says. 'Once I met a group of 30 girls from a hostel, they had come all the way from Thrissur, just to meet Kanchanamala and spend some time with her.' The film has had such an impact on tourism in the place that its theatres are still playing Ennu Ninte Moideen full house. 'The tourists come to watch the film in Mukkam,' says Dr Manoj. Apparently, there have also been those who wanted Kanchanamala do the Vidyarambham ceremony for their kids!