My obsession to spot similar locations across various films continues...
Karaikudi & around
The Chettinad Mansions and Palaces with wooden pillars, long corridors, beautiful windows and doors provide a superb backdrop to films featuring 'rich' families. Kanadugathan also has a temple and lake (if I remember right).The shooting permissions can be easily obtained to shoot anywhere thanks to the local production manager who also acts in most films shot there, as 'taragar', 'village man pottufying aamam in Panchayat' and other important roles.
Prabhu's house in his 100th film Rajakumaran was shot in one such mansion (Chettinad palace?), some bits of the songs Idhu daana from Saamy and Davani poatta Deepavali from Sandakozhi .
Cheran's house in Pirivoam Sandippoam was also shot in one of the huge Chettinad houses.
Have you watched this particular song in this film? The Dining hall is one of the several several several rooms in the house. Just look at the pillars and the flooring...
Kandukondein Kandukondein was shot inside this palace. Look at the Muttram. Simply wow it is, isn't it?
If you are looking for a place to travel to on your next weekend break or a mini holiday, do travel to Karaikudi and do a mini tour around these palaces and Chettinad houses. They are beauttttiful ! A lot of old Chettinad houses are now Heritage resorts. You can also visit the Sandai (local market) every Monday and shop for antiques of Chettinad.
Pondicherry
Puducherry is one hot destination for feature films. A lot of advertisement films also have been shot there. The architecture, beach , French roads and streets have made Pondicherry, a favourite shooting location.
Recently, Pondicherry featured in the bike chasing sequence in Ko. I see the French quarter in a lot of songs. Kaatril eeram from Veppam...
One of the main reasons, films are shot in Puducherry is probably because it is not as crowded as Chennai is especially on the roads and it is a lot cheaper. Shooting in Puducherry is most cost effective for producers compared to Chennai.
Talking about Chennai, I had this major query on one location in Chennai where Moondru mudichu was shot. It is the house where Balaji (Kamal), Prasad (Rajni) and Selvi (Sridevi) live as tenants. A huge house, big terrace, Ice-house (Vivekandar Illam) like architecture. Also, located bang in the middle of main road junction. Have been asking quite a few Tamizh movie enthusiasts if they knew where this place is.
Watched the film two days ago on television and guess what the credits said? "Thank you Mrs. Rajalakshmi Srinivasan for giving us a (your) location at 39, Eldams Road, Chennai -18 for shooting"
Ah, it is Ulaga Nayagan Kamalahassan's house at the Eldams Road -TTK Road junction! Wow, whattee veedu!
The name board outside the house - S.Charuhasan, Advocate (Kamal's brother)
The view from Ulaga Nayagan's house - A bus coming out of C.P Ramaswamy road and you can also see the road parallel to it (Ethiraj Kalyana Mandapam road).
The only thing that has not changed from then to now is the petrol bunk at the junction.
Have been planning to write this post on locations forever now and it's a mere coincidence that I managed to do it today as I celebrate the 10th Anniversary of my debut in feature films as a production & locations manager. Though I have moved on to do other things in life those 4 years were simply the best in my career.
20 Responses:
Nice post, ya. All those Puducherry and Chettinad locations bring back memories of those movies. And watching how they change from movie to movie, of course.
Wonderful research on Ulaga Nayakan's home. :D Would love to know more about your experiences as prod/location manager (hint, hint.) You have't already written about them, have you?
Nice post, ya. All those Puducherry and Chettinad locations bring back memories of those movies. And watching how they change from movie to movie, of course.
Wonderful research on Ulaga Nayakan's home. :D Would love to know more about your experiences as prod/location manager (hint, hint.) You have't already written about them, have you?
Wonderful post ! Even I tend to keep identifying locations from the Tamil movies that I see just to identify familiar landmarks. Keep writing...
Have you heard of this website http://www.wherewasitshot.com
They could use your expert discoveries.
gr8 post :) such intersting facts for the movie buffs
wow.. awesome post :D
Very interesting! :)
As a regular visitor of Pondicherry (for the Ashram) and a fan of the architecture there, I keep spotting Pondicherry in so many feature films and ads films. :D
Great post! I've always been very curious to know about filmi locations, especially pazhaya Tamil movies - I go around guessing... "hey this is Mount Road" and "look namba Anna Nagar Tower". I must watch Moondru Mudichu to look at that house. Our family legend has it that the famous (thathuvam!) song "Ezhandapazham" sung famously by LR Eeswari was shot right in front of my uncle's house in CIT Nagar (the T Nagar one - not the CIT colony of Myalapore)
A very interesting read! do you know where that big white bungalow with terracotta roof is? it was portrayed in many movies esp. the ones in the 90s period as the wealthy guy's mansion!
wow..interesting!
reached here today...brilliant blog..loved t
Hmm,, different post and well compiled with witnesses (credits)
Good,,,
"Ding Dong Kovil mani" song from the movie Ji was surely shot in and around a Chetinad Palace?
நாதஸ்வரம் தொடர் இன்று வரையிலும் காரைக்குடியில் படமாக்கப்பட்டு வருகிறது இருந்தும் அதன் பெருமை சொல்லும் காட்சிகள் அமையாது போனது நமது துரதிஷ்டம். :(
Im from pondicherry, the ayan song (vizhi moodi) is shot near my house.. the french style housing are native of pondicherry...thanks
Hi,Nice blog :) Can you please tell me about that bridge in Kaatril eeram song?where is that located?And what is called?
Wow! Will go back and watch the movie again. I used to go through that to get to Rangachari's :). Also, Ice House is my great great grand thatha's!! They were the first to give money to Swami Vivekananda to go to Chicago.
My3
Wonderful post on shooting locations! I have always enjoyed your style of writing, which never fails to get me smiling - your observations are very similar to my own, which annoy hubby quite a bit!
Incidentally, the house used in the movie, Sigappu Rojakkal (or was it Sigappu Roja? It has been so long since I saw it) was across the street from my parents' house on Venkatanarayana Road. It used to be called Nahar House, and belonged to this person called S.S.Nahar, and my Dad said it was some doctor's house in the '30s and '40s.
anyone can help us in finding the location managers at chennai for a short film. We are searching for a house so looking for a location managers. Please suggests us...8939909677
also could you tell 'unnal mudiyum thambi' movie's kamal house location. im searching for it.
Nice to see post about Film Shooting and happy to know that Pondicherry is also a prominent location for film makers. There are so many places for them to watch out for like mentioned in this website www.zoompondy.com
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