Darjeeling and Sikkim, whose brand value as tourist destinations has been diluted in recent years due to frequent political disruptions and natural calamities, respectively, are staring at Bollywood to shore up their image.

Sikkim chief minister Prem Singh Tamang (Golay) and Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) chief executive Anit Thapa both met Bollywood director Anurag Basu, who had shot for his films extensively in the region earlier.

Basu will again shoot his upcoming film starring Kartik Aaryan and Sreeleela in Darjeeling and Sikkim.

Basu met Thapa in Darjeeling on Sunday. He had met Golay in Gangtok on February 27.

“Our hills are back on the radar of filmmaking, had an exciting meeting with Anurag Basu, the renowned Indian director, screenwriter, actor and producer in Hindi cinema,” Thapa said on his official Facebook page.

The Darjeeling leader said that Basu’s decision was a big step towards “making Darjeeling a premier cine destination.”

“He (Basu) will be shooting his next big film right here in Darjeeling, starring Karthik Aryan and Sreeleela! This is a big step toward realizing our dream of making Darjeeling a premier cine destination,” said Thapa.

Darjeeling witnessed a major agitation in 2017 with the region remaining closed for 104 days.

Ranbir Kapoor in Darjeeling during the shooting of Basu’s 2012 film Barfi!

Following the agitation, political leadership was taken over by Thapa from Bimal Gurung.

Referring to Basu's decision to shoot in the hills, Thapa said “this progress is a testament to how peace and stability bring opportunities".

“With no strikes and focus on growth, filmmakers and businesses are returning, boosting our local economy and tourism,” said Thapa.

Golay’s government, too, had issued a similar message after the chief minister met Basu at his official residence at Mintokgang in Gangtok.

“Expressing enthusiasm for the project, the Chief Minister highlighted the significance of this initiative in promoting Sikkim as a premier film destination,” a statement issued by the Sikkim’s department of information and public relations stated.

Basu did not take calls from this newspaper on Sunday. However, a couple of weeks back he had told The Telegraph that he was locking the dates of the shoot.

Darjeeling, hit by political strife in the recent past, drastically reduced the flow of Bollywood movies shot here. Sikkim suffered after the October 2023 glacial lake outburst flood, which damaged infrastructure in the region. Tourism has not yet recovered fully in Sikkim after the GLOF.

“Sikkim desperately needs some positive news coming out from the state,” said a hotelier.

However, Darjeeling has been a regular feature in Bollywood.

While Rajesh Khanna-Sharmila Tagore starrer Aradhana (1969) put the place in the spotlight, more than 200 films have been shot in the hills.

Sanjay Biswas, a writer in Darjeeling, said: “The list of even Bollywood films shot in Darjeeling is long. Over 200 films in Hindi, Bengali, Nepali and even Tamil and Telugu films have been shot here.”

Some well-known films to be shot in Darjeeling include Vinod Khanna-Shabana Azmi starrer Lahu Ke Do Rang (1979) and Raj Kapoor’s Barsaat (1949). Dev Anand visited the town across the decades to shoot for his films.

Amitabh Bachchan was here with Rekha for Do Anjaane (1976) and with Rakhi for Barsaat Ki Ek Raat (1981). “Anurodh (1977), which had Rajesh Khanna, was also shot in Darjeeling. Sunil Dutt, too, had visited Darjeeling for Hamraaz (1967),” said Biswas.

Shah Rukh Khan shot Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman (1992) and Main Hoon Na (2004). “Main Hoon Na was shot in Darjeeling in 2003 and the next major Bollywood shooting was for Anurag Basu’s Barfi! in the year 2011,” said a movie buff from Darjeeling.

Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif shoot in Darjeeling for Basu’s 2017 film Jagga Jasoos

Between 2007 and 2011, the hills were in turmoil over Gorkhaland. There was another round of agitations in 2013. Bollywood stayed away.

When things settled, director Basu came to Darjeeling in 2016 to shoot for Jagga Jasoos which again had Ranbir in the lead.

Sujoy Ghosh, too, was in Kalimpong to shoot for Kahaani 2 which had Vidya Balan in the lead in 2016.

The hills went into agitation mode again in 2017. “With stability in 2018, Rajinikanth came to Kurseong to shoot for his Tamil film Petta,” said the movie buff.

In 2023, Kareena Kapoor Khan shot in Kalimpong in her OTT debut Jaane Jaan.