On the Tracks of Musical Screenscapes: Analysing the Emerging Phenomenon of Bollywood Filmi-song Tourism in Iceland

Abstract

Around the world, cities and regions are welcoming tourists after being in the spotlight of popular movies, games, novels, TV series or other forms of popular media culture. Popular Hindi cinema (Bollywood) too has long impacted destination imaginaries and the ensuing travels. What remains scarce in existing research is how its crucial component – Filmi-songs impacts tourists’ imaginaries of a destination, and consequently how they perform their travels. This study investigates the role and significance of filmi-songs in tourism practices, by focussing on the case-study of ‘Gerua’ from the film ‘Dilwale’ (2015), post which Iceland experienced a rise in Indian tourism. Employing 18 in-depth interviews with tourists, but also various local stakeholders in the business of media-tourism, this study attempts to understand what impact Bollywood songs have on travel motivations of its audiences, how tourists experience the filmi-song location on-site, and finally how the phenomenon is perceived and evaluated by local stakeholders in Iceland. Results show that filmi-song tourists are actively engaged in reconstructing scenes from their beloved filmi-songs by indulging in shot re-creations and song re-enactments. By drawing links between Bollywoodized narratives and locations in Iceland, and by sharing these performances online, these tourist practices contribute to the imaginative heritage of Iceland in the global imagination.

Emerging from the shadows of the COVID-19 pandemic and building back better: Tourist Studies and Asian critical tourism scholarship

“…When engaging with western concepts, authors in Tourist Studies have mediated between the concepts, their original assumptions and the differing contexts of the places being studies. For instance, some articles have attended to the adaptation of western-derived ocular-centric notions of ‘the gaze’ (Law et al, 2007; Moufakkir, 2019) and other articles have allowed for indigenous notions of host-guest relations to emerge (Nanjangud and Reijnders, 2022; Yuk Wah, 2006). Nuanced accounts of tourism embodiments provide in-depth and pluralistic narratives of tourism in Asia or of Asians (Nanjangud and Reijnders, 2022; Peyvel, 2021; Yuan, 2022).…”

“…For instance, some articles have attended to the adaptation of western-derived ocular-centric notions of ‘the gaze’ (Law et al, 2007; Moufakkir, 2019) and other articles have allowed for indigenous notions of host-guest relations to emerge (Nanjangud and Reijnders, 2022; Yuk Wah, 2006). Nuanced accounts of tourism embodiments provide in-depth and pluralistic narratives of tourism in Asia or of Asians (Nanjangud and Reijnders, 2022; Peyvel, 2021; Yuan, 2022). From real-world Asian tourists sensing and experiencing the social aspects of food (Lin et al, 2021) to fictional Kazakh journalist Borat’s make-believe journey (Tzanelli, 2021), authors have shown how tourism can be a vehicle for the interrogation of converging as well as conflicting societal values and cultural processes.…”

Tourism mobilities, tourist performances: Editors-in-chief’s notes

“…Ord and Behr's (2023) work adds to our critical scholarship that examines, through qualitative approaches, the role of art, festivals and music in tourism (see, e.g. Nanjangud and Reijnders, 2022;Ziakas et al, 2022).…”

“…Ord and Behr’s (2023) work adds to our critical scholarship that examines, through qualitative approaches, the role of art, festivals and music in tourism (see, e.g. Nanjangud and Reijnders, 2022; Ziakas et al, 2022). Moving beyond more taken-for-granted notions of music, sound and soundscapes in tourism constructions and performances, Frohlick and Macevicius’s (2023) feminist critique of soundscape and silence in tourism reveals the embedded moralism in our desired soundscapes, which encourages scholars to rethink silent tourism as ways of knowing.…”

Rangko Village Ecotourism: A Qualitative Review of Potentials and Challenges

“…Tourists, as vital connectors (Nanjangud & Reijnders, 2022), are integral to promoting destinations such as Goa Rangko. The site's allure, rooted in its unspoiled natural beauty, from stunning caves to diverse wildlife, calls for the careful consideration of sustainable tourism practices.…”