For close to half a century, Switzerland has been Bollywood’s unlikely canvas to do what it does best: peddling dreams of love. The story goes that a young, wealthy director once went there for his honeymoon, an incredible luxury for the 70s, and for generations since, Indian silver screen romance has unfolded against Swiss backdrops. Every so often, it is such accidents of personal history that bind nation-states together, forging enduring and inexplicable cultural bridges from nothing.
And so, in the grand hall of world nations within the Indian imagination, Switzerland’s presence is decidedly Bollywood-tinged. Other recurring settings, countries like the US, UK, or Australia, are on the migration map. They are where the diaspora builds lives, pays rent, and navigates the tussle between aspiration and homesickness. Switzerland bears none of this baggage. It is where dreams go to live, where routines pause, and where, as far as Bollywood is concerned, all the world’s beauty reflects the charm of young love. The pull may be even more subconscious; Switzerland is the ultimate escapist fantasy for South Asian life: a serene, orderly society framed by manicured natural beauty. Think placid lakes, sun-dappled meadows, picture-book villages, and snow-draped peaks.