Noted filmmaker Mani Ratnam has extended his support to Kerala’s Cinema Tourism project, which seeks to showcase prime locations featured in popular hits in different parts of the State to attract tourists. During a meeting with Tourism Minister P.A. Mohamed Riyas, Mani Ratnam promised to endorse locations that left a deep impression in people’s mind after getting featured in box office hits.
To start with, Mani Ratnam will participate in a show planned at Bekal Fort in Kasaragod district, where exciting scenes of his film Bombay was shot. Through the cinema tourism initiative, Kerala aims to attract tourists to the nostalgic locations that got closely identified with films. Mani Ratnam also expressed his deep appreciation of the pioneering project during his discussion with Mr. Riyas in Kozhikode. Kerala’s scenic landscape had been locations of a number of his films, especially for song sequences.
The Minister said the support and presence of Mani Ratnam will be a big boost to Cinema Tourism. The Bekal Fort in Kasaragod, featured in Bombay, starring Aravind Swami and Manisha Koirala, is included in the project. The filmmaker, who also helmed the 1984 Malayalam film Unaroo, will attend the programme to be conducted at Bekal Fort to rev up the project along with the actors of Bombay.
