Why Pollachi is the most sought-after filming location for productions set in the backdrop of rural India

Last updated: 3 December 2021

Typical images that come to mind when picturing rural India are lush green agricultural fields, livestock, rivers, mountains, traditional houses, etc. There is a small developed town in India that can bring all these images to life in their full glory. It is called Pollachi, meaning “gifted with prosperity” in Tamil, in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

Situated in close proximity to the Western Ghats mountain ranges, Pollachi is flanked by stunning natural landscapes and known for its lush green fields, large scale coconut groves and the pristine Aliyar river. The region enjoys pleasant weather conditions varying between 18°C in winter to 35°C in summer. The town is also well-connected by road, rail and air – the nearest international airport is only 40 kms away serving the city of Coimbatore, dubbed as the “Manchester of South India” due to its extensive textile industry.

All these factors make Pollachi the most sought-after destination for Indian filmmakers, mainly for filming scenes depicting rural India.

^{British actress Amy Jackson and Indian actor Vikram in a scene from Ai (2015), directed by Shankar Shanmugam, filmed at Aliyar Canal in Pollachi. Courtesy: Sony Music/Aascar Film}

There aren’t any official statistics available on the number of films that have been filmed in and around Pollachi but a Times of India report in 2009 suggested that around 1500 films and 5000 music videos were shot in that region.

^{A scene from Shah Rukh Khan’s Billu (2009) filmed at Aliyar Canal in Pollachi. Courtesy: Red Chillies Entertainment}

The Tamil Nadu town regularly attracts film production units not only from the South Indian film industries but also Bollywood, Bengali and Sinhalese productions.

^{Images from the film Barfi! (2012) featuring Ranbir Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra filmed at Aliyar Canal in Pollachi. Courtesy: Sony Music}

^{Scene from the film Barfi! (2012) featuring Ranbir Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra. Courtesy: Sony Music}

Notable Indian films that were shot in Pollachi region include Mani Ratnam’s Guru (2007) starring Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan, Rajinikanth’s Kuselan (2008), Shah Rukh Khan’s Billu (2009), Anurag Basu’s Barfi! (2014) starring Ranbir Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra and Shankar’s Ai (2015) starring British actress Amy Jackson and Tamil actor Vikram to name a few.

^{A scene from Mani Ratnam’s Guru (2007) filmed at Pollachi. Courtesy: Madras Talkies}

Pollachi is also a desired location for filming commercial advertisements, music videos and television series.

^{Several television series and films have been filmed in Singanallur House in Pollachi. Image courtesy: Keerthana Balaji/Papyrus.in}

Among the movies filmed in Pollachi in the past two years is the third instalment of Tamil horror-comedy Aranmanai, directed by Sundar. C, starring Arya, Raashi Khanna and Andreah Jeremiah.

^{Raashi Khanna shares a picture of herself from Pollachi enjoying the scenic views.}

Telugu actor Pawan Kalyan stayed in Pollachi for about 40 days for the filming of Bheemla Nayak, the Telugu remake of Malayalam blockbuster Ayyappanum Koshiyum. The actor had also filmed his 2013 blockbuster Attarintiki Daredi in the scenic town.

^{Valparai is a hill station located about 40 miles from Pollachi and is renowned for its splendid views}

A major portion of actor Nani’s film “Tuck Jagadish” was also filmed at Pollachi.

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