A Bollywood film is currently being shot in Frederick (in Maryland) in the United States. Starring Arbaaz Khan (brother of Salman Khan) and Manjari Fadnis, the movie is titled “Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai”.
The movie was shot in popular places like the Volt and Bushwaller’s on Market Street, and other locations in Frederick County, such as Mt. St. Mary’s University and Middletown. They will also shoot in New York and Los Angeles before wrapping up production.
One of the primary reasons that the director chose to film in Frederick is because he wanted to set part of the story in a more local setting, rather than the usual “big city” scene, and Frederick seemed to be the perfect for it. People have seen big cities like New York, L.A., Chicago a lot, but the real beauty lies in small towns like this.
Obviously, the Frederick Film Office is excited with the development and feel that its a huge opportunity for tourism, and also for filmmaking.
Arbaaz Khan and Manjari Fadnis are both well known in India, although they are not big stars, so many in the US may not know much about them. Nevertheless, the fact that a film shoot was on attracted lot of attention. While filming in Volt, several people stopped by the set to say hello and have their pictures taken with them.
“People that don’t follow Bollywood much and don’t know who these actors are, but people who follow Bollywood cinema…when they hear the names of the two actors, their eyes light up! They want to meet them.”, said an official from the Frederick Film Office.
The production crew consists of both Indian and American members. They had to overcome the language barrier at first, but now are looking forward to being a part of something special.
Bollywood actress Manjari Fadnis was obviously excited, “It feels good, especially when you’re out of your country, and then you get the love and affection from people around. It feels good, it feels very good,” said Fadnis.
About Frederick, Maryland
Frederick is a city and the county seat of Frederick County in the State of Maryland. Frederick is less than an hour from both Washington, D.C. and Baltimore.