10 Breathtaking Locations from Shankar's Films

Shankar is known for a lot of things including a big star cast, stunning sets, and gorgeous locations. Right from Jeans to his latest film I, Shankar has been exploring visually splendid locales in several countries abroad. Here's a list of 10 such locales, from Tasmania to Peru, which Shankar has depicted in his films.

Guilin, China
Shankar's latest film I has been news for being one of the very few Indian films that were extensively shot in China. The plot revolves around a body-builder, Lingeswar (Vikram) who takes up modelling after Diya (Amy Jackson) forces him to join her. For one of the songs in the film, Pookkalae Sattru Oyivedungal, Shankar's team flew to Guilin in China to shoot a portion of the song. The location was surreal to say the least.

Red Seabeach, Panjin, China
The Reed marsh in Panjin in Pookkalae Sattru Oyivedungal song from Vikram, Amy Jackson starrer I was surreal to say the least. Given the fact that the film was shot in various locations in China for more than 40 days, it's anybody's guess how much research went into scouting the perfect locales for yet another visual extravaganza from Shankar.

Lexiaguo, China
That Lexiaguo (China) is endowed with natural beauty would perhaps be an understatement. The first sight of mountain slopes filled with flowers of all kinds makes a strong impression and Shankar explored it quite well for plenty of scenes and a song in I.

Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, Brazil
At first, it looks like Shankar's team has gone all out to create a stunning location, where the sand dunes are interspersed with pools of water and once you get a bird's eye view of the entire location, that's when it hits you. Lençóis Maranhenses National Park in Brazil became the chosen spot for Rajinikanth and Aishwarya Rai to groove to the tunes of Neelo Valapu from Robo. While the location itself was too good to believe, the icing on the cake, however, was that signature Rajini's walk in the middle of the desert. You remember?

Machu Picchu, Peru
Who would have imagined that a land once ruled by the Incas would become a backdrop for Rajinikanth and Aishwarya Rai to shake a leg? And if that wasn't enough, the song begins with the word Kilimanjaro, which is a reference to a mountain in Africa! All said and done, this was the only instance that an Indian film was shot in the mountains in Peru. The costumes, the quirky lyrics and more than anything, two charismatic stars dancing on top of the world, the song from Robo had it all.

Spain
Bilbao, Valencia and Madrid were three of the cities which Shankar explored to shoot a song, Style from Shivaji. It's a pity that the song got more attention for all the wigs and flashy costumes which Rajinikanth and Shriya Saran wore.

Keukenhof Tulip Fields, Netherlands
The tulip fields in Netherlands formed the backdrop for Ramu (Vikram) to express his feelings for Nandini (Sadaa) in Aparichitudu. The song, Kumari was a rage back in 2005 and the location complimented the pathos of the lead character pretty well.

Tasmania
When Shankar used bullet time technique for a song, Aley Aley in Boys, it was still a very nascent concept in Indian cinema. And if you had turned your gaze away from Siddharth and Genelia in the song, the location where the song was shot in, you'll find Bridestowe Estate Lavender Farm, Mersey Bluff Lighthouse and Port Arthur Historic Site in Tasmania. More than 11 years later, the location is still, in all probability, as virgin as it was when Shankar shot Boys here.

Australia
One of the first instances where we saw Kangaroos and Koalas in their natural habitat (in Australia) was in Shankar's Bharateeyudu. And this was way back in 1996, where shooting in Australia wasn't really a lucrative option for several filmmakers from India! The song was Telephone Dhwani La and if you have seen the film, it's a tune which you aren't likely to forget anytime soon. Maybe even after two decades! The song was extensively shot in and around Sydney.

From China to New York
Perhaps no other song captures the globetrotter in Shankar like Poovullo Daagunna from Prashanth, Aishwarya Rai starrer Jeans. The song was shot near Eiffel Tower (Paris), Colosseum (Rome), Empire State Building (New York), Pyramids of Giza (Egypt), Taj Mahal (India) and Leaning Tower of Pisa (Italy). As per one news report, Shankar's team covered all these locations in under 30 days, but to the audience, back in 1998, this was as close as to one got to travelling around the world in under five minutes. Plus it had Aishwarya Rai, who, by then, was dubbed as the Eighth Wonder of the World!