The Taj Mahal is considered as a symbol of India’s pride & love. Agra, 3rd important district of Uttar Pradesh, is historically very important. Being the favorite city of the Mughals, they made Agra their capital before Delhi.
According to history, Ibrahim Lodi established the city in 1504. At the time when this city was founded, no one would have imagined that this city would be waving the glory for its beauty all over the world, and Taj Mahal would be considered among Seven Wonders of the World.
Amazing History of Taj Mahal
Taj is located at a distance of about 200 km from Delhi. To construct it, an artisan was called from Baghdad who could carve the curved letters on the stone. Similarly, the artisan called from Bukhara city, which is located in Central Asia, was skilled in polishing the flowers on the marble stone. Daksha artisans living in Istanbul, Turkey were called to build domes of great stature and Daksha artisans were summoned from Samarkand to build minarets.
Thus, in the six months before the construction of the Taj Mahal, skilled artisans were carved out of which 37 skilled artisans were assembled, under whose supervision twenty thousand laborers worked. The Marble stones used in the construction of the Taj Mahal were collected from the region of Makrana in western state of Rajasthan, many other types of precious stones and gems were collected from many countries such as Baghdad, Afghanistan, Tibet, Egypt, Russia, Iran, etc. and bought them at a very high price to built the Taj Mahal.
The outcome of the Mughal Emperor’s love & determination is ‘Taj Mahal’, is called the unsurpassed diamond of beauty. When you see this building above with a head raised, its carved roofs and walls are nothing short of a surprise. Its history is on the tongue of all the children that the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal in memory of his second wife Mumtaz Mahal.
The Taj Mahal built of white stones on the banks of river Yamuna, has made its mark not only in India, but across the world. Thousands of tourists & research scholars, enthusiast, beauty lovers and film makers from far off countries visit Taj Mahal to see the sign of love. After seeing the beauty of Taj Mahal bathed in milky moonlight, all the similes you give, all of them look dull.
Taj Mahal, a Hub for Film Shooting
The Taj Mahal is not just a building but a living aloof love for the world. The poet Rabindranath Tagore called it a ‘tear on the cheek of eternity’. Talk about the film world, the magic of Taj Mahal is going on from Bollywood to Hollywood.
Prior to independence, in 1942, Shah Jahan and Mumtaz’s love interest was shown on the film screen as ‘Taj Mahal’, in which actress Suraiya appeared on the screen at the age of 12. It featured Shah Jahan as actor Muhammad Naseem. Since then, more than 300 films have been shot at the Taj.
In the film ‘Taj Mahal’ in 1963, actors Pradeep and Bina Roy played memorable roles of Shah Jahan-Mumtaz. Roshan’s music gave a new voice to the unique stones. After this, the magic of Taj was such that Taj was suited for the romantic scene. Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan also performed under the crown with Bunty and Babli in Stranger.
Hollywood film Victoria & Abdul, Slumdog Millionaire, Bollywood film Youngistan, Ek Deewana Tha, Mere Brother Ki Dulhan, Bhoomi, Tevar, Wah Taj, Jan Nisar, Delhi-6, Tera Jadoo Chala Gaya, Scorpion, Dhai Aakhar Prem Ka, Bunty Aur South Indian film director Bharatha Raja with Babli, Tere Naam, Bhagat Singh, Jeans, Taj Mahal, Bewafa, Taj Mahal-A Value of Love, Chal Chala Chal, Pyar Deewana Hota, Taj Mahal, Stranger, Yamla-Pagla-Divana, Hot Air The Tamil film ‘Taj Mahal’ was shot by actor Vikram’s film Sami Square at Taj Mahal.
Not only the film, but in many songs, the Taj Mahal is specially shown as a sign of love. The song ‘Suno na Sangarmar.’ from the film ‘Youngistan’ is overshadowed. This song by Arijit Singh was very much liked by the youth. Ishq Rishik in ‘Mere Brother Ki Dulhan’, moments of actor Arjun Kapoor’s fun in the film ‘Tevar’ were captured in the shadow of the Taj Mahal. The song Ajeuba from the 1998 film Jeans, released in 1998, features shots of actress Aishwarya Rai. The Taj Mahal was filmed in songs by Jhoom Barabar Jhoom, Bewafa, Yamla Pagla Deewana and Scorpion.
Not only on the big screen, but also on the small screen, the magic of the Taj Mahal is going up and speaking. Serial makers put the backdrop of about 12 serials back to back in Agra and put the Taj Mahal at the center of the story. Serial farewell, the shooting of Baba Mohe Aiso Var Dhundho was shot in Agra for several months. The cast of the serial was shot in the streets of Tajganj. More than 70 albums and more than 40 commercials have been shot at the Taj Mahal. These days, the Taj Mahal is appearing on more than 15 advertisements on TV.
International Film Production at Taj Mahal
Filming at Taj Mahal could be too troublesome, if you are foreigner and filming in India for the first time. If you want to set any scene of your documentary or feature film at Taj Mahal, you have to prepare everything in advance before 3 months. Here in this article I am listing out few steps, which you can follow to reduce your worries for film shooting at Taj Mahal, Agra, Uttar Pradesh.
First Step: Hire an Experienced Location Manager or Production Fixer based in New Delhi
Second Step: Apply for Film Permit from Ministry of Information & Broadcasting through your local Indian coordinator/Location Manager
Third Step: Apply to Archeological Survey of India for filming permission at Taj Mahal
Forth Step: Apply for Film Visa at Indian Embassy/High Commissions at your country
Fifth Step: Book tickets for Taj Mahal online in advance
Sixth Step: Reach early at Taj Mahal entrance before sunrise
Seventh Step: Enjoy the shoot!
We at FILMING INDO have been facilitating International Producer in India from several years for filming documentaries, TVCM/Webcm, commercial photography, print shoots, TV Dramas, Music Videos, etc. We have done filming at Taj Mahal before. However, it may sound from above all seven steps to be easy, but believe me how Indian systems work especially when there is so much Red Tape in Indian administration, one might get tangled in the process. However, we at Filming Indo takes extreme care and with the help of our professional staff, we are able to get all the permits on time before the shoot dates.
For any query, you may get in touch at info@filmingindo.com