Scotland has taken its screen-sector pitch directly to one of Hindi cinema’s most recognisable banners. First Minister John Swinney visited Dharma Productions in Mumbai for discussions with Karan Johar and Apoorva Mehta, with Screen Scotland representatives alongside, to position Scotland as a destination for Indian film and television productions.
An old connection, a new ask
The visit leans on a piece of Bollywood nostalgia: Karan Johar’s Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, which used Scottish locations and remains one of the most cited examples of Scotland’s presence in Hindi cinema. Rather than treat that as a one-off memory, the Scottish delegation is using it as a calling card for repeat business.
According to the delegation, Scotland’s offer is practical as well as scenic:
- Landscapes and historic locations already familiar to Indian audiences.
- Skilled crews and modern facilities for international shoots.
- Screen Scotland’s institutional support for production planning.
- Creative expertise across the screen sector.
Industry-to-industry, not just government-to-studio
The visit also included a roundtable organised with the Producers Guild of India, bringing Indian producers together with Scotland’s screen representatives. That matters: the conversation is being built at the level of production companies and guilds, where future shoot decisions are actually made, rather than as a one-off ministerial photo call.
For Hindi cinema, the pitch arrives as Indian producers continue to weigh international locations for scale, schedule and visual variety. Scotland is competing with established destination markets, and the Dharma meeting is an attempt to convert affection for a classic film into a working pipeline of projects.
What to watch next
The real test is whether the roundtable leads to announced shoots, co-production arrangements or crew exchanges. Indian producers now have a named route through Screen Scotland and a warmer set of relationships with Scottish counterparts. If a production follows, the nostalgia argument will have turned into something more durable.
Source: MovieTalkies
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