Which Shantaram Scenes Were Filmed On Location In India?

Question

Chase · Answer

I got pulled into 'Shantaram' for the way it tries to smell like Mumbai — and yes, a handful of those shots were actually filmed in India. From what I followed while reading interviews and location notes, the production did go to Mumbai for several key exterior sequences: the waterfront/Colaba area and market streets, some train-station exteriors, and a few establishing shots that clearly use Marine Drive and other recognizable skyline views. Those moments give the show an authentic bustle you can’t fake on a backlot.

Most of the gritty, close-up slum and interior work — the claustrophobic chawl sequences and many of the long, lived-in interiors — were recreated in Australia, but the filmmakers deliberately cut to real Mumbai exteriors to anchor the story. There are also mentions in press about crews working in the nearby hill station Lonavala for a couple of monsoon-ish or countryside scenes, though those are less prominent. If you watch closely, you can spot real storefront signs, auto-rickshaw crowds, and that specific humidity in the long shots — little authenticity boosts from real India that help sell the rest of the series for me.

Stella · Answer

Watching 'Shantaram' felt like flipping between two worlds: the big, open establishing shots that shout Mumbai and the hyper-detailed, cramped scenes that whisper studio craft. I started by tracking interviews with the showrunners and some location callouts on fan forums, then rewatched a few episodes to spot real landmarks. The short version of what I pieced together: primary on-location filming in India was used for exteriors — especially the busy markets, waterfronts (think Colaba/Marine Drive vibes), and some station or street sequences. Those are the moments where traffic, signage, and skyline feel uncannily right.

By contrast, the emotional centerpieces — long dialogues in small rooms, complex action inside slum alleys, and many night scenes — were mostly built on sets in Australia, where production had more control. I also found mentions of a small unit filming in the Lonavala area for countryside/monsoon shots; those appear intermittently to break up the city scenes. I love that blend: the glimpses of real India give the show texture, while the studio work lets the cinematography breathe when it needs to.

Ellie · Answer

I binged half a season on a rainy Saturday and kept a mental checklist of what felt genuinely Indian. What’s been confirmed and widely reported: the show's crew went to Mumbai and shot on-location exteriors — notably markets, street corridors, and some waterfront/Colaba-type establishing shots. You’ll spot real city landmarks or at least real streetscapes used for wide or moving-camera work.

Everything intimate — many of the chawl interiors, reconstructed slum lanes, and dense night sequences — was largely shot in Melbourne studios or recreated neighborhoods in Australia. There were also reports of a short shoot in Lonavala for a few rural/mountain shots, but the heart-of-the-city moments (trains, crowded bazaars, the coastline shots) are the bits most likely filmed in India. If you want exact episode timestamps, I’d compare the wide exteriors to photos of Mumbai — that’s the quickest way to tell.

Ella · Answer

I’ve been obsessively pausing shows to look at backdrops, and with 'Shantaram' you can definitely tell which bits were shot in India. The production flew to Mumbai to capture several exterior sequences — busy market streets, some waterfront/Colaba-style establishing shots, and a few train-station or street-crowd scenes. Those wide, bustling images are the on-location material.

Most intimate, close-quarter slum scenes and many interiors weren’t shot there; they were recreated elsewhere (mostly Australia). There were also small shoots reported in nearby hill-country like Lonavala for the occasional countryside sequence. If you want to spot the India-shot pieces, watch for real signage, authentic traffic chaos, and skyline silhouettes — those almost always mean they were filmed on the ground in India.

Which Shantaram Scenes Were Filmed On Location In India?

4 Answers

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