- Christopher Nolan filmed The Dark Knight Rises prison scenes near Jodhpur, India
- Tenet's Mumbai scenes capture authentic locations like Gateway of India and Colaba Causeway
- Nolan first visited India in 2011 and admires its vibrant film culture and cities
Hollywood often portrays India as a land of snake charmers, dirt, pollution, overcrowding, and, at times, exoticism. Not to mention the stereotypical flute or sitar music that plays in the background.
Such portrayals often overlook India's reality as a nuclear power with a civilisation that spans thousands of years, thriving metropolitan cities, a cosmopolitan urban culture, and one of the world's largest armed forces.
But Christopher Nolan saw India for what it is: "an unbelievably visual place," he said in an earlier interview. His films are known for their layered storytelling, in which even the background plays a supporting role. Blink, and you might miss a key connection between two scenes.
In Nolan's films The Dark Knight Rises and Tenet, Indian locations played a crucial role, adding an authentic layer to the visuals. As The Odyssey releases today, here is a look at India through Christopher Nolan's lens.
India In Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises
In The Dark Knight Rises, Bruce Wayne (aka Batman), played by Christian Bale, must escape from a prison pit. While it is never explicitly stated that the prison is in India, portions of the sequence were shot in Jodhpur. In fact, if you focus on the background of the prison, you will notice that the design of the stairs resembles the Chand Baori stepwell.
Nolan created a mythical landscape symbolising hopelessness. As Bruce escaped the vertical well, he emerged right in front of Mehrangarh Fort. The director chose the landscape for its authentic ruggedness, which added another layer to his storytelling. If filmmakers want to study practical filmmaking, they should turn to Nolan.
India In Christopher Nolan's Tenet
For Tenet, Christopher Nolan chose to shoot in Mumbai, capturing the chaos and beauty of the City of Dreams. John David Washington and his handler Neil, played by Robert Pattinson, travel to Mumbai to track Andre Sator's weapon and question Priya, played by Dimple Kapadia, a powerful arms dealer.
Unlike many Hollywood films that zoom in solely on Dharavi, Christopher Nolan shot in South Mumbai, including Colaba Causeway, the Gateway of India, Cafe Mondegar, and the Royal Bombay Yacht Club. He reportedly used IMAX cameras to capture the city's original energy, authentic textures, and architecture.
Christopher Nolan On Shooting In India
Speaking about shooting Tenet in Mumbai, PTI quoted Christopher Nolan saying, "We shot in Mumbai, which is just one of the most extraordinary looking cities in the world in terms of its architecture, the amazing people and the abundance of life on the streets there. It's a really remarkable place with this extraordinary history, so, to be able to take the audience there, it seemed a very exciting setting."
He also talked about collaborating with local crews and said that they love films and he had fun working with them. "It was really fun to collaborate with the local crews and learn about how they make films and cooperate with them in pulling off some remarkable things, including some of the first-ever aerial shots of Mumbai in a film," he added.
He was glad that, despite shooting in Mumbai during the monsoon, he was able to film under challenging conditions. The aerial shots of Mumbai in the film remain some of the most iconic in recent Hollywood cinema.
Recalling his first visit to India in 2011, Christopher Nolan spoke at The Odyssey's premiere, he said, "I first came to India years ago for a conference on the future of film culture."
He shared that his friend Shivendra Singh Dungarpur encouraged him to visit the country. "I met a lot of filmmakers and got to know a little bit about the film culture here. I've never been anywhere else in the world with such an appreciation of what movies can be and what they should be for audiences," he added.
The Odyssey director called India's cities visually inspiring. "Everywhere you look, there's something that you want to photograph as a filmmaker," he said.
In fact, Emma Thomas, Nolan's longtime producing partner and wife, reiterated his sentiments and said, "India is clearly a market that loves cinema. I'm thrilled that Hollywood is seeing so much potential here."
Nolan also shared that he had wanted to premiere Tenet in Mumbai in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic derailed those plans. However, he later visited India for the premiere of The Odyssey with Emma Thomas, Matt Damon, and Tom Holland. The team interacted with the audience in the theatre and, amid their packed pre-premiere schedule, even paused for a quick tea break, which went viral on social media.
Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey tells the story of the Greek hero Odysseus and his 10-year treacherous journey home after the Trojan War. While he battles mythical creatures, his wife and son continue their own fight at home to protect their kingdom. The film hits theatres on July 17 and stars Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Zendaya, Anne Hathaway, Lupita Nyong'o, Charlize Theron, and Robert Pattinson, among others.
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