octopussy

udaipur, india

if you failed to notice its three mentions in the lonely planet or in the brochures for the individual sites, then you will eventually discover through word of mouth that octopussy was filmed in udaipur. for those who have not seen the film, there are multiple hotels and restaurants in udaipur that offer nightly screenings. last night, i caught the last forty-five minutes in between bites of vegetable biryani and garlic naan.

in case you're not familiar, this was one of two 1983 installations in the james bond filmography, this one starring roger moore. two of udaipur's gem locations, the lake palace and hilltop monsoon palace, were featured prominently, while a hotel in the decadent city palace also hosted a few scenes. it is not totally alien to hear people or see signs boasting of a location where a film was shot. after all, i'm from denver, where filming of the second die hard installation grabbed the front page and the fact that a broncos wide receiver filmed a mcdonald's commercial in one hallway inflated the egos of half my high school. but here? it just doesn't make sense.

udaipur is a centuries city with postcard-worthy views around every corner. the lake palace sits regally in lake pichola, watching the aforementioned, imposing walls of the city palace fronting the eastern edge of the lake. the entire town is ringed by verdant hills and if the vistas aren't enough, this town is dripping in hindu temples and a rich yet blood-lined history. so that is why it is so surprising that a town already armed with its own rich tales would proactively market itself as the host to a movie from the decade of wham! and massive cell phones. it's not as if this was the only james bond film (not even unique to its year) and, if memory serves, i don't think it went down in film lore next to casablanca or gone with the wind.

but even this cynic has a softer side. i do specifically recall octopussy and viewing it as a wee lad. my dad shared his affinity for bond films with me and i think this was the first that he shared with me. so on one hand, i decry the marketing dependence on this decades-old feature film in a city that already has so much to offer. on the other, its great to get reminded of people and places that my passion for travel dictates that i be absent from for long stretches of time.