With the release of Ranveer Singh's spy thriller Dhurandhar, which is set in Pakistan, the spotlight is once again on a long-standing tradition in Indian cinema: using Pakistan as a backdrop for dramatic storytelling. Here are some of the notable Indian films set entirely or partly in Pakistan:
Gadar: Ek Prem Katha (2001): Set during the Partition, the story of a Sikh man, Tara Singh, marrying a Muslim woman, Sakeena, sees him travel to Lahore, Pakistan, to rescue her from her family who object to their union.
1947 Earth (1998): Directed by Deepa Mehta and based on Bapsi Sidhwa's novel Cracking India, the film is entirely set in Lahore in the months leading up to and during the 1947 Partition, seen through the eyes of an Parsi child.
Veer-Zaara (2004): Yash Chopra's epic romance is the quintessential story of star-crossed lovers—an Indian Air Force pilot, Veer Pratap Singh, and a Pakistani woman, Zaara Hayaat Khan. Much of Zaara's life, and a significant portion of the film's later plot (as Veer languishes in a Pakistani jail), is set in Lahore.
Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015): A heartwarming tale of a devoted Hindu man, Pawan, who travels illegally across the border to reunite a lost, mute Pakistani girl, Munni, with her family in her village in Pakistan.
Raazi (2018): This gripping espionage thriller is inspired by the true story of Sehmat, an Indian spy who marries into a Pakistani military family during the 1971 war. The film features numerous dramatic and pivotal scenes set within Pakistan's military establishment and her in-laws' home.
Pathaan (2023) and Tiger 3 (2023): Modern-day spy franchises frequently showcase Indian spies undertaking missions deep within Pakistan to thwart plots against India. These high-octane thrillers often depict various locations in Pakistan's major cities.