16 Movies That Will Inspire You to Take A Trip to India

In mainstream media, there are many movies that will inspire you to take a trip to India. The way some movies are shot often make us want to travel and be there in that place, and with its diverse geography, culture, lifestyle, and heritage, India has a lot to offer for every type of traveler. Here are 15 movies from Bollywood and Hollywood that will truly get you packing your bags to India!

Piku (2015)

Piku is a slice-of-life movie about a father-daughter relationship as they take a road trip from Delhi to Kolkata. The film very subtly showcases the beauty of Kolkata in its truest form – the lazy mornings, the bylanes explored on bicycles, Howrah bridge, and the history giving way to modernization. On the way, the road trip also covers the Yamuna Expressway and Varanasi.

Piku

Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013)

When Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani released, it managed to ignite or reignite the travel bug in almost everyone who watched the film. A coming-of-age, feel-good film about love, life, and friendships, Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani shows us the life of Kabir, an avid traveler. The movie takes us through the mountains of Manali and Kashmir, parts of Europe, and the majestic city of Udaipur.

Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani

Karwaan (2018)

Karwaan is a funny slice-of-life movie about a frustrated IT employee whose father dies in a road accident and there is a mix-up with the bodies. He gets the body of an old lady who was in the same bus, so he sets out on a road trip with his friend from Bangalore to Kochi to return the body to their family.

The film takes you through the gorgeous Ooty, lush roads of Kerala, and the lakes of Thrissur, making you want to pack your bags and go on a similar journey.

Karwaan

Dil Chahta Hai (2001)

The movie that popularized the trend of taking a trip with your friends, Dil Chahta Hai shows Goa in all its glory. Three friends decide to take a trip to Goa every year, but life happens.

Dil Chahta Hai showcased the beautiful beaches and forts of Goa, and even made the Chapora Fort in North Goa a major tourist attraction. The second half of the movie has some stunning shots of Australia.

Dil Chahta Hai

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011)

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is a feel-good film about a few individuals from the UK who decide to retire in Jaipur in India. Although the hotel is not what they imagined it to be, the Exotic Marigold Hotel manages to charm them in different ways.

The film shows the luxurious side of Rajasthan. The movie is shot in the City Palace in Jaipur, Udaipur, Castle Kanota, and Panna Meena Ka Kund. the real-life Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, the Ravla Khempur, is not actually in Jaipur, but about 200 miles away on the outskirts of Udaipur.

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

Eat, Pray, Love (2010)

Eat, Pray, Love is a travel film about a woman finding herself as she explores Italy, India, and Bali. She travels to India in search of spirituality and enlightenment, and the movie shows that aspect of India in a very elegant way through the cities of Delhi and Pataudi.

Eat, Pray, Love

Highway (2014)

Highway is a movie about a girl who is kidnapped and travels with the kidnapper in a truck, exploring the north of India. This unusual road trip gives a sense of freedom to the girl, as they take the viewers through the Spiti Valley in Himachal, mountains of Pahalgam and Aru Valley, Tabo Monastery, Sambhar Lake in Rajasthan, Nurmahal in Faridkot, canals of Punjab, and the beautiful countryside.

Highway

Jab We Met (2007)

Jab We Met is a fun rom-com that starts with a train journey of two completely different individuals who happen to sit across from each other. The movie takes us on a road trip from Ratlam in Madhya Pradesh to Bhatinda in Punjab, traversing through the havelis and forts of Mandawa in Rajasthan. They then go on another trip from Bhatinda to the snow-capped Manali, with scenic locations like the Rohtang Pass, Naggar Castle in Kullu, and Mall Road in Shimla.

Jab We Met

Barfi (2012)

Barfi is a beautiful, soft film about a deaf and mute man named Barfi. The cinematography of the film is a work of art, as it shows Kolkata and the hill station of Darjeeling in the most aesthetic way. From the Clock Tower, Glenary’s Cafe and the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway of Kolkata, to the misty mountains, lush green forests, and charming villages of Darjeeling, Barfi transports you there. The movie will leave you with a smile on your face and an urge to travel to West Bengal!

Barfi

Rang De Basanti (2006)

Rang De Basanti was a revolutionary film that highlighted the history, patriotism, and politics of India in a new light. Set primarily in Delhi, the movie is about a group of regular college kids with a deep sense of love for their country.

The movie showed India Gate in Delhi, the Nahargarh Fort in Jaipur, the stunning Golden Temple in Amritsar, the Durga Sarai Fort in Ludhiana, and the Hola Mohalla festival of Anandpur Sahib in Punjab.

Rang De Basanti

3 Idiots (2009)

It was undoubtedly the movie 3 Idiots that largely increased tourism in Ladakh. The movie revolves around three friends studying in one of the most reputed colleges in the country. While much of the movie is shot in IIM Bangalore, the climax is shot against the backdrop of the stunning Pangong Lake in Ladakh, making it the new favorite travel destination among Indians.

3 Idiots

Chennai Express (2013)

Chennai Express will make you want to take a trip to the stunning South of India. The protagonist travels by the Chennai Express train through many beautiful villages in South India, such as Meesapulimala, Kannimala, and more. The famous bridge of Tamil Nadu, the Munnar tea estates of Kerala, and the Dudhsagar Waterfalls of Goa are shot beautifully in this film.

Chennai Express

The Darjeeling Limited (2007)

The Darjeeling Limited focuses on three brothers taking a train journey through India. It was shot mostly In Rajasthan in Jodhpur and Udaipur, with a few scenes from the Himalayas. The diversity of the places from India adds a lot of color to the film.

The Darjeeling Limited

Swades (2004)

Swades evokes a patriotic feeling among Indians, and curiosity among others. The movie is about a man who returns to his village in India from a foreign country and travels around to help his people at the grassroot level.

The film takes you away from the aesthetic tourist destinations to the villages and rural landscape of India, promoting rural tourism and inspiring you to visit this side of India and get a glimpse into the local life of the country.

Swades

Million Dollar Arm (2014)

Million Dollar Arm is based on a true story of baseball pitchers hailing from India. While a large portion of the movie is shot in the USA, there were many scenes shot in Mumbai, and a few in the villages of Rajasthan, in front of the magnificent Taj Mahal, Yamuna River, and some other places.

Million Dollar Arm

Gandhi (1982)

Gandhi is a biographical drama that tells the story of the Father of India, Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi was one of the pioneers who led India to freedom in 1947. The movie shows the life of this simple man who struggled to free the nation with his philosophy of Ahimsa (non-violence). It shows some of the most important chapters of India’s freedom struggle movement, and is a must-watch if you want to learn more about India.

Gandhi

If you have watched any of these movies and want to plan a trip to those locations, contact us and we will plan a trip for you based on your needs! We can also tailor-make an itinerary for you that would take you through all the places from the films you love! Let us know and we will take care of planning a bespoke trip to India for you!