Getting high on life

Punit Malhotra, director of I Hate Luv Storys, tells us why New Zealand is simply irresistible

Beauty is wheneven the mostexperiencedcinematographersare hardpressed for thebest camera angle. In suchplaces, you simply need toaim anywhere and startshooting. As a filmmaker inQueenstown, you don't haveto hunt for good locations the place itself is one giant,exquisite locale.

We'd been scouting for alocation to shoot parts of IHate Luv Storys we werelooking for landscapes thatresembled Switzerland inHindi films from the 90s. Icame across Queenstown inNew Zealand, and decided tostart shooting there in mid-January. The place turnedout to be perfect. We got anopportunity to shoot aroundGlenorchy, the location forLord Of The Rings.

Queenstown is a resorttown in the south-west regionof New Zealand. It's primarilya tourist destination andbustling with activitythroughout the year. Butunlike other places, peopleleave you alone inQueenstown if you wantsome peace and quiet. Thelakes, surrounding hills andgreenery give you theimpression that you're at anidyllic hill station, and thecool weather just adds tothat. It's small in terms ofarea, and even if you're sittingin a cafe or ambling,there's beauty all around.

Our 18 days in Queenstownjust whizzed by since weworked without a break. Onthe odd day that we did takean off, Imran and the rest ofthe crew went jet skiing andsky diving.

Queenstown is touted asthe adventurecapital of the world, andalthough we didn't have anyadventure sequences in thefilm, everyone was excited totry them out. If it weren't forour tight schedule, we'd alsohave tried tramping and flyfishing.

Wine pit stop
Now, I don't drink, but visitingthe southernmost vineyardin the world is an experienceI would definitely notpass up. While the othersindulged their craving forwine, I had an exotic meal offresh cottage cheese, salmonand steak. It was heavenly.

There are also a lot ofstalls by the roadside. I can'tever forget the fried fish andchips I had at one of thesestalls. But you should alsohave the great fresh breadand fruit, coffee, ice cream,and the exotic cheeses thatthe locals make. Tourists,especially youngsters fromAustralia, throng the barsand nightclubs. Shops shutaround 6 pm, and then thenightlife takes over. They allpour out on the roads,singing and having fun.

New Zealand has an activefilm culture. The locals weresupportive throughout ourstay. In fact, there's a placewhich allows you to hireequipment such as cranesand trolleys. Members of thelocal film commission invitedus to meet government officials,and from the way theytreated us, we knew how filmfriendly the place is. We'veshot in Egypt, USA and theUK, but New Zealand isincomparable to all those. It'sa little far from India but thejourney is totally worth it.

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