With a large annual footfall, the city of Banaras is one of the most visited places in India by international as well as national tourists. Banaras is one of the few cities, which have sustained their old world charm till date and have managed to catch the fancy of cinematographers for years now. We bring to you a list of movies which capture the beauty of the charming ghats and lanes of Banaras…
Masaan: With appreciation still pouring in for the Neeraj Ghaywan's 'Masaan' the movie is headed towards a huge Bollywood success. 'Masaan' is based in Banaras, and traces the lives and complexities of the characters involved. Th ghats and lanes of Banaras have been carefully knit with the screenplay of the movie and serve as a perfect back drop for the theme of life and death running through the movie.
Raanjhanaa: Directed by Anand L Rai, 'Raanjhanaa' marked the Bollywood debut of South superstar Dhanush. The film is set in Banaras with Dhanush, a typical Banaras lad falling for Sonam Kapoor. The movie beautifully captures the charm of the Varanasi ghats and lanes, as it traces the journey of the two leading characters. Dhanush apparently underwent a strict training to improve his Hindi and fit in as a Varanasi boy.
Bas Itna Sa Khwaab Hai: Written and directed by Goldie Behl, this movie starring Abhishek Bacchan was set against the backdrop of Varanasi. Abhishek plays the role of a simple man from Banaras who dreams of making it big in life.
Laaga Chunari Mein Daag: A 2007 drama film directed by Pradeep Sarkar starred Rani Mukherjee along with Konkona Sen Sharma and several other big names of Bollywood. This movie was about a lower middle class family of Banaras, which is economically unsound. To curb this problem, the elder daughter of the family (Rani Mukherjee) decides to move to Mumbai, and becomes and escort to support her family.
Choker Bali: Choker Bali is a 2003 Bengali drama film based on the novel Chokher Bali by Rabindranath Tagore. Directed by Rituparno Ghosh the movie stars Prasenjit, Aishwarya Rai and Raima Sen as the leads. Choker Bali was critically and commercially successful and went on to win the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Bengali. The movie was shot at the Ramnagar Fort in Varanasi, which is located on the banks of river Ganga and is considered to be extremely scenic.
Issaq: This Indian adaptation of William Shakespeare's ‘Romeo & Juliet’ was directed by Manish Tiwary. Set in Banaras, the story traces the journey of two lovers played by Prateik and Amyra Dastur who are stuck between the issues of the local sand mafia. From Shakespeare's Verona to Varanasi, the movie manages to capture the beautiful lanes and the exquisite ghats of Banaras, intricately.
Aparajito: A 1956 Indian Bengali drama film directed by Satyajit Ray, Aparajito vividly captures the essence of Banaras. The movie which is the second part of the ‘Apu Trilogy’, traces the journey of Apu growing up and drifting away from his mother. The ghats of Ganga, added to the cinematography of the film.
Banaras: As the name indicates this movie starring Urmila Matondkar and Ashmit Patel was based in the city of Banaras. Released in 2006, the love Story has been directed by Pankaj Parashar. The movie makes an underlying social commentary about topics like the caste sytem and the economic disparities in the society.
Ghatak: A 1996 action film directed by Rajkumar Santoshi, the movie stars Sunny Deol, Mamta Kulkarni and Danny Denzongpa as its main leads. The character of Sunny Deol is a kind wrestler named Kashi, which is another name for Banaras. A superhit in its days , major parts of the movie were shot in Banaras.
Water: A 2005 Canadian film written and directed by Deepa Mehta is set against the backgroud of the plight of widows in Varanasi. Set in 1938 the movie seeks to explore the lives of widows at an ashram. The film stars Seema Biswas, Lisa Ray and John Abraham in the leading roles. The movie garnered wide acclaim for its plot and performances from critics around the globe.
Mohalla Assi: Since the day of its official trailer release the much awaited movie starring Sunny Deol has already caused a lot of stir within the audience. Based on the Hindi novel 'Kashi Ka Assi' the entire movie has been reportedly shot in Varanasi. Assi is a famous ghat in Varanasi along the banks of river Ganga. Assi Ghat is the Southern most ghat in Varanasi, and is considered to be an essential part of Varanasi tourism. It was at this very ghat where Tulsidas passed away.
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