Preity's Ishkq in Paris films in Eiffel Tower

Preity Zinta’s debut production Ishkq In Paris is perhaps the 'first Bollywood film to shoot inside the Eiffel Tower'. The film, which is scheduled for a September release, will also see a guest appearance by...

Actor Preity Zinta’s debut production, Ishkq In Paris, is gearing up for a September 21 release. With a few days of shooting still pending and a target in place, director Prem Raj is now working backwards to meet the deadline. They’ve just wrapped up a long “freezing cold” schedule in Paris. For Prem, it was a dream to see what he had visualised on paper and revisited several times since, come to life.

HT Image

Preity Zinta in Ishkq in Paris (HT Photo)

“We are perhaps the first Bollywood film to shoot inside the Eiffel Tower, both at the ground and top level,” he says, adding, “It was a day and night shoot and with a skeletal crew, we went up and rushed to finish our work within the allotted time. The French are very receptive to Hindi cinema, but shooting involves a lot of paperwork. Every 15 metres you require different permissions and every shot has to be submitted well in advance. We did three recces and pre-production took us about three to six months.”

Quiz him on whether the scenes at the Eiffel Tower involve ‘hero’ Rhehan going down on his knees and proposing to Preity filmi style and Prem smiles, “That would be giving away too much too soon.” However, he does admit that the crew has managed to shoot the film at several other international locations as well, including a scene on a long distance train. “Preity is a great actor and producer. She understands cinema, and me. She has given me all the support I need,” he says, adding, “What makes me even happier is that Salman Khan, who introduced me to the industry with Main Aur Mrs Khanna (a 2009 film in which Preity made a cameo in an item song) is making a special appearance in this film. Life has come full circle.”

Bollywood in Paris

An Evening In Paris (1967)

Don (2006)

Jhoom Barabar Jhoom (2007)

London Dreams (2009)

London Paris New York (2012)