Bollywood = Travel

Published in the Sunday Gujarat Samachar on 24 August 2025

There’s something magical about hearing a song and instantly picturing a place. I don’t mean imagining, I mean seeing the hills, the skyline, the roads, the water, and sometimes, even the weather. For me, it’s often a Bollywood song that does that. One moment I’m listening to a track on the radio or watching a film scene, and the next, I’m Googling: Where was this shot?

This isn’t new. For years now, even before a trip takes shape, I find myself prepping not just with tickets and itineraries, but with songs. I remember the first time I saw the black sands and crashing waves of Iceland in Gerua, many of us in India didn’t even know what Iceland looked like until that moment. Or the timeless magic of Zara Sa Jhoom Loon Main that made an entire generation dream of snow-covered Switzerland.

These songs weren’t just musical moments. They were invitations. Travel trailers. Emotional previews of places we hadn’t yet been, but now suddenly wanted to. So in today’s piece, let’s talk about how Bollywood music, has shaped how we see the world. I’ve put together a list of songs that didn’t just entertain us, but introduced us to destinations. Because sometimes, all it takes is one melody… and your next holiday begins.

Gerua - Dilwale

Filming Location: Iceland

When Gerua hit the screens, it wasn’t just Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol’s chemistry that took our breath away, it was the landscape. Sweeping drone shots, black sand beaches, waterfalls that look too perfect to be real, and moss-covered cliffs that seemed pulled from a dream. This was Iceland - raw, surreal, and until then, relatively unknown to many Indian travellers.

What was remarkable about Gerua is how it framed nature as a character of its own. The abandoned plane on the beach (the famous Sólheimasandur wreck), the Skógafoss waterfall cascading behind the actors, and the northern terrain’s endless drama, all of it made us ask: Where is this place?! For many, this song was their first visual introduction to Iceland. And for some, it even planted the seed for their first trip there.

Khuda Jaane - Bachna Ae Haseeno

Filming Location: Italy: Venice, Cinque Terre, and more

When Khuda Jaane begins, it instantly feels like a love letter - not just between the characters played by Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone, but between Bollywood and Italy. This song gave us postcard-perfect visuals of Venice’s winding canals, pastel houses along Cinque Terre’s cliffs, and piazzas bathed in golden sunlight.

Back in 2008, outside of Rome and Venice, other parts of Italy weren’t as familiar a destination to the average Indian traveller as it is today. But watching Khuda Jaane felt like discovering it for the first time, watching lovers run along coastal trails and dance in medieval towns. It sparked wanderlust in a way few songs had done before.

Personally, this was one of those songs that made me sit up and take note. I remember thinking, Where is that beautiful seaside village? I had never heard of Cinque Terre back then, but this song made me want to find out. And that’s the power of a well-shot song: it doesn’t just showcase a place, it teases a story and makes you want to go live it.

Gallan Goodiyan - Dil Dhadakne Do

Filming Location: Mediterranean Cruise (including Turkey, Spain, Italy)

Some songs feel like a celebration, and Gallan Goodiyan is exactly that. A burst of joy, family drama, and infectious energy. What made it even more memorable? The stunning setting of a luxury cruise sailing through the Mediterranean.

Shot aboard a cruise ship, the film (and especially this song) gave many Indian travellers their first glimpse of what a European cruise holiday could look like. Vast blue seas, deck parties, fine dining, scenic port cities - all wrapped up in a foot-tapping number that featured the entire cast dancing through one long unbroken take.

From glimpses of coastal Spain and Italy to scenes filmed in Turkey, the film and the song made cruising look aspirational and incredibly fun. And suddenly, the idea of celebrating anniversaries or birthdays on a cruise wasn’t just for “others”, it was something we could imagine ourselves doing.

Zara Sa Jhoom Loon Main - Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge

Filming Location: Switzerland

If there’s one film that changed how Indian travellers viewed Switzerland forever, it’s DDLJ. And within it, Zara Sa Jhoom Loon Main stands out as a classic: playful, romantic, and visually unforgettable.

Set against the pristine snow-covered Alps, charming chalets, and postcard-perfect valleys, the song starred Kajol and Shah Rukh Khan dancing through the Swiss landscape in a way that made an entire generation fall in love with the idea of Europe. For many Indian families in the ’90s and early 2000s, Switzerland became the dream honeymoon destination, thanks in no small part to this very song.

What’s fascinating is how DDLJ, and particularly this number, kickstarted the long-standing relationship between Bollywood and Switzerland. Indian tourists started flocking to Interlaken, Saanen, and Gstaad, all because of what they had seen on screen.

Yeh Ishq Hai - Jab We Met

Filming Location: Manali and surrounding areas

Few songs have captured the unfiltered joy of travel like "Yeh Ishq Hai." As Kareena Kapoor’s character twirls and dances down snow-covered roads with infectious energy, we’re transported to the icy, breathtaking heights of Himachal Pradesh.

This song showcased a different side of Bollywood’s travelogue. Rather than the manicured landscapes of Europe, it featured India’s raw, natural beauty in full glory: winding roads, snowbanks, frozen rivers, and a sense of pure freedom.

While much of the film was shot in and around Manali, including the iconic Rohtang Pass, a significant portion of this song was filmed at the beautiful and historic Naggar Castle and its surrounding areas.

Sooraj Dooba Hai - Roy

Filming Location: Malaysia – Kuala Lumpur & Langkawi

If there’s one song that perfectly captured the luxury-meets-adventure vibe of a carefree holiday, it’s Sooraj Dooba Hai. With Arjun Rampal, Jacqueline Fernandez, and Ranbir Kapoor in the frame, this song turned heads not just with its beats, but with its backdrops.

From the glittering skyline of Kuala Lumpur,  including dazzling shots of the Petronas Twin Towers, to the beachside opulence of Langkawi’s resorts, the visuals made Malaysia look like the place to party, unwind, and get away from it all.

And let’s admit it: if you’ve ever sat on a flight with Sooraj Dooba Hai playing in your headphones, you know the travel vibes are real.

So that’s my short list. As you were reading through this article, what were some of the songs that came to your mind? I would love to know, so write to me at neil@veenaworld.com And until next time, keep Celebrating Life!