"MY HEART ALMOST STOPPED WHEN I STOOD IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SON DOONG CANAL"
Despite being well-known figures in the Indian film industry, the SILAA film crew members were still surprised upon arriving in Quang Tri , where they were welcomed with flowers, banners, and elaborate ceremonies right at Dong Hoi airport on the morning of July 30th.
In the afternoon of the same day, the delegation received an official courtesy visit at the Quang Tri Provincial People's Committee, chaired by Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Hoang Xuan Tan; the evening featured an impressive welcoming gala.
Producer Rahul Bali shared that he was very impressed with the majestic and fascinating natural landscape of the caves, as well as the friendliness of the local people. He appreciated the enthusiastic support of the government and believes that the film will contribute to bringing the image of Vietnam to the world through the lens of Bollywood cinema.
SILAA movie promotional poster
PHOTO: TL
Meanwhile, lead actor Harshvardhan Rane revealed that one of the reasons he accepted the role was his awe at seeing Son Doong Cave in pictures. He hopes to bring this natural beauty closer to Indian and international audiences. Furthermore, another member of the crew who visited Son Doong last year also shared: "My heart stopped beating when I stood in the middle of Son Doong."
To match the scale of its setting, the film SILAA was invested with $4 million, belonging to the action-romance genre, blending love, revenge, and spectacular action sequences. The film was directed by the renowned Omung Kumar, with the two main roles played by stars Harshvardhan Rane and Sadia Khateeb.
The crew will be filming in various locations across Vietnam, including Quang Tri, Cao Bang, Quang Ninh, Ninh Binh, Hanoi , Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City. In Quang Tri specifically, starting August 1st, key filming will take place at Son Doong Cave, Tan Hoa Cave, Tu Lan Cave, Tien Cave, and Phong Nha Cave, with filming expected to continue until August 14th.
SEIZE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR PROMOTION
During the meeting with the delegation, Mr. Hoang Xuan Tan, Vice Chairman of the Quang Tri Provincial People's Committee, emphasized: Quang Tri always welcomes international filmmakers and is ready to provide maximum support to ensure the smooth running of filming projects. "We are committed to creating the best conditions for the SILAA team to complete their film, bringing the beauty of Quang Tri, with its heroic memories and magnificent nature, to global audiences," he said.
Mr. Nguyen Chau A, General Director of Oxalis Adventure, the exclusive operator of Son Doong cave exploration tours and also a sponsoring partner of the film, said that the film crew consisted of about 80 people. Of these, the filming group at Son Doong and En caves comprised 12 people, working for 4 days, mainly capturing scenic views, not action scenes.
Besides Son Doong Cave, the crew also filmed at Tan Hoa Tourist Village, Tien Cave, Tu Lan Cave, and Phong Nha Cave for about a week. Afterwards, they returned to India to finalize other scenes before returning to Vietnam in October to continue filming in Ninh Binh, Cao Bang, Ha Long, Hoi An, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City.
Lead actor Harshvardhan Rane revealed that one of the reasons he accepted the role was his awe at seeing Son Doong Cave in pictures.
PHOTO: NGUYEN PHUC
According to Mr. Á, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Quang Tri province, and related businesses have negotiated sponsorship for the film crew with the hope of benefiting from the promotional effect. "In the agreement, the SILAA crew committed to creating a video promoting Vietnamese tourism and incorporating it into press conferences promoting the film. Specifically, a 40-second clip promoting Vietnamese tourism will be shown before the film in 1,000 theaters in India, a step forward that the previous film, Kong: Skull Island (partially filmed in Vietnam), did not achieve. The Kong film only showed promotional clips in Vietnamese theaters but not in US theaters," Mr. Á emphasized.
Mr. Nguyen Chau A believes that cinema has proven to be a significant contributor to attracting tourists to locations featured in films over the years. As a specific example, he mentioned that the film SILAA is scheduled for release globally in 2026. In India, it will be screened in approximately 1,000 theaters, reaching an estimated 8 million viewers, and images from the film will be widely promoted on digital platforms and media in India (a market with 300 million outbound tourists annually).
However, Mr. Á also argued that simply featuring Sơn Đoòng in a film is not enough. The scarcity and uniqueness of Sơn Đoòng must be accompanied by a professional promotional strategy. "The locality needs to be prepared in terms of marketing, from websites and promotional clips to social media, so that when viewers search for it after watching the film, we are ready," he said.
According to Mr. Á, the Sơn Đoòng cave exploration tour is currently one of the most sought-after tourist products in the world, where visitors have to wait up to two years for the chance to set foot inside the cave. With the strategic partnership between Bollywood cinema and Vietnamese tourism, Quảng Trị has a golden opportunity to bring Sơn Đoòng and Phong Nha - Kẻ Bàng to the hearts of millions.
Thanhnien.vn
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/phim-bom-tan-bollywood-do-bo-son-doong-duoc-gi-185250802204538606.htm
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