The Bollywood romantic road movie The Ring has been filming in the Czech Republic since 20 August. The Ring is produced by Red Chillies Entertainment, one of the most prominent Bollywood production and distribution companies, and directed by Imtiaz Ali, who has returned to film in the Czech Republic after having shot Rockstar here six years ago. Rockstar was among the first films to benefit from film incentives newly introduced in 2010.
Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan plays the lead in the movie The Ring, currently shot in Prague. The scene above was filmed on the Crusaders' Square by the Charles Bridge | © Red Chillies Entertainment
Filming at Prague locations runs from August 20 to September 7, when the production moves on to Amsterdam, Lisbon and Budapest. On the Czech side, production services are provided by Punk Film.
The movie is registered in the State Cinematography Fund’s incentives programme; in the Czech Republic, producers will spend some 54 million Czech crowns for 16 shooting days with a 150-member staff (including 90 Czechs).
Among the locations where you may encounter the Bollywood filmmakers in the coming days are the Palace Gardens of Prague Castle, Charles Bridge, Nerudova Street, the old Coal Market (Uhelný trh Square), Letna Park and Kozi Street. The production promises to be a great promotion for the Czech capital in India, as in the film Prague is actually played by Prague.
The premiere of the film, which has a total budget of EUR 12.5 million, is planned for the second half of 2017, and it is expected to be a box office hit in India. The leading man, in fact, is portrayed by one of Bollywood’s biggest stars, Shah Rukh Khan, whose films draw an average of 20 million viewers in Indian cinemas and another 7.5 million abroad. On his side, another big star in India, Anushka Sharma.
“Film plays an unusually significant role in Indian society; to one extent or another, it touches the lives of every citizen. Indians love their movies. They watch them not only for their favourite actors but also for the places in which they appear on the silver screen. And what’s exceptionally important, they also have an irresistible desire to visit these places and often fulfil that desire,” said Milan Hovorka, Ambassador of the Czech Republic in India.
“And in this I really see an opportunity for us, not only for the film industry but for the whole economy. There is a wide array of synergies arising from the shooting of Indian productions in the Czech Republic – the promotion of destinations, and building a positive image of the country, in this case, is the main thing,” said Milan Hovorka.
