English songs shot in India

Music is music. Whether it is English, Hindi, regional, trance or EDM - music knows no boundaries. That is why we see many Hindi music videos being shot abroad. But there are English chartbusters that have been shot in India as well. Seems like the English musicians, too, share the same feeling. Here are a few hit English numbers that were shot in India and have made a mark in the world of music.

Major Lazer & DJ Snake - Lean On

This is the latest track to be shot in India and that too in Mumbai at the ND Studios in Karjat and at Kaul Heritage City, Vasai. This is the same set where Ashutosh Gowarikar’s magnum opus, Jodha Akbar was shot. Ekta Kapoor’s television interpretation of Jodha Akbar, too, was shot here. The look of this video was quite royal with background dancers decked up in traditional attire, dancing to a fusion of Bharatnatyam and Bollywood steps. Major Lazer, on their official Facebook page, wrote in the video description, “India is special and its beauty absolutely humbled me. When we toured there as Major Lazer, it was mind blowing to see our fan-base and we wanted to incorporate the attitude and positive vibes into our video and just do something that embodies the essence of Major Lazer. Major Lazer has always been a culture mashup and to us, India feels like some kind of special creature with one foot in history and one firmly in the future. The experience is something we’ll never forget.” Producer Diplo explained the group’s reason to shoot the video in India. Their views about the future of India are what impress us even more.

Iggy Azalea – Bounce

Australian rapper, Iggy Azalea, shot for her music video, Bounce, in India. The video has Iggy decked up in Indian bridal attire and the video, too, has the backdrop of a big fat Indian wedding. She is also seen doing typical bollywood thumkas in one scene. Iggy shot on all the typical Mumbai rides such as an elephant back and an auto rickshaw. Iggy can be seen dressed as a Hindu goddess in the scene where she rides on the elephant's back. A portion of the song was also shot in a temple. Iggy also shot portions of the song in slums wherein she dons a plain white saree. One of India’s most celebrated festivals, Holi, has also been captured by Iggy in her music video. To sum it up, Iggy has captured various shades of India in her video, Bounce. This is one more artist’s attempt to showcase India as a culturally rich nation. Reportedly, Azalea was quoted as saying that her inspiration for the Bounce video was taken from her mother’s close friend who was an Indian woman and when Iggy had attended her wedding, she had enjoyed herself so much that she wanted to be a part of such a celebration. According to Iggy’s stylist, her look in the video has been inspired from the late Bollywood diva, Parveen Babi.

Mumford and Sons – The Cave

The video starts with the band speaking to an Indian marching band in Hindi. They say, “Acha dost, yeh aapke liye hai.” Impressive, isn’t it? Then they hand over their instruments to the Indian musicians and go on to explore the serene roads of Goa, riding one scooter. The Cave is a refreshing and soothing song, which was shot in India in 2011, and featured on VH1’s top 40 music videos. This video captures the true beauty of Goa in the background. Towards the end of the video, the band returns and collects their instruments back from the marching band and leaves.

The Beatles - Across The Universe

Famous English rock band, The Beatles, shot their music video, extensively in Rishikesh. The song also has a line, ‘Jai Guru Deva Om’ in its chorus. The song was written by John Lennon. The Beatles had come to India to practice the Transcendental Meditation technique from Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Across The Universe is reportedly one of the songs that the band recorded about their good and bad experiences of their trip to Rishikesh, India.

Highlight Tribe – Shankara

French band, Highlight Tribe, is a band famous for their Trance music. Shankara is a fast-paced trance track, which is actually a compilation of all of the band’s concerts in India, mainly Goa. It features the group’s trips to the country.