Karan Johar hosts Scotland’s John Swinney at Dharma Productions, talks centre on filming in Scotland
New Delhi: Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney visited where he met filmmaker and the production house’s CEO, Apoorva Mehta, to discuss opportunities for collaboration between Scotland and the Indian film industry.
The visit focused on strengthening creative ties between the two countries and exploring Scotland’s potential as a filming destination for upcoming Indian movies and television productions. Accompanied by Screen Scotland, Swinney discussed the region’s filming locations, skilled workforce, production infrastructure and creative expertise with representatives of the Indian film industry.
Scotland has featured in several Bollywood films over the years, including Karan Johar’s Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. Its landscapes and filming locations have provided a backdrop for Indian cinema, and the latest discussions aim to explore further opportunities for filmmakers to work in the region.
John Swinney meets Karan Johar at Dharma Productions
During his visit to Dharma Productions, Swinney met Karan Johar and Apoorva Mehta to discuss the possibilities of bringing more Indian film and television productions to Scotland.
The discussions highlighted Scotland’s potential to support projects through its production infrastructure and experienced crews. The region’s scenic landscapes and creative resources could offer Indian filmmakers more opportunities to shoot their projects outside India.
Screen Scotland accompanied the First Minister during the visit, highlighting the role of the Scottish screen sector in building connections with international production houses. The discussions also reflected an interest in developing stronger working relationships between Scotland’s creative industry and India’s established film production sector.
For Indian filmmakers, international filming locations can offer different visual settings and production opportunities. Scotland’s existing connection with Bollywood, including its appearance in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, provides a point of reference as both sides explore possible future projects.
However, the discussions centred on exploring opportunities for collaboration, rather than announcing a specific film or production that would be shot in Scotland.
Industry roundtable explores long-term partnership
The visit also included an industry roundtable convened with the Producers Guild of India. The meeting brought together senior Indian producers and representatives from Scotland’s screen sector to discuss the possibility of building a long-term partnership between the two countries.
The roundtable provided an opportunity for industry representatives to exchange views on potential collaborations and explore ways to strengthen professional ties between Indian producers and Scotland’s screen industry.
The discussions covered the broader possibilities of working together on film and television productions, with Scotland positioning itself as a destination that can offer filming locations, skilled professionals and production facilities.
A closer partnership could create opportunities for Indian production houses to explore Scotland for future projects while helping the Scottish screen sector build relationships with one of the world’s major film industries.
The visit by Swinney to Dharma Productions forms part of these efforts to strengthen creative connections between Scotland and India. With discussions involving filmmakers, production executives and screen sector representatives, the focus remains on exploring potential opportunities for future collaboration.
While no specific production was announced during the visit, the meeting and industry roundtable brought representatives from both sides together to discuss how their respective film and television industries could work more closely in the years ahead.
Written By Uditi Sharma!