Mumbai, hamari jaan

Lovers have reunited and dreamy-eyed migrants have arrived in Mumbai in countless movies at this Victorian-Gothic architectural marvel, which boasts of ferrying a whopping 30 lakh passengers daily. Yes, it is the busiest station in the world, and also a UNESCO world heritage Site. An entire song 'Jai Ho' from the Oscar award-winning Slumdog Millionaire (2008) was shot here. In 1956, the structure was featured in the film CID during the song 'Yei Hai Bombay meri jaan'. The station appeared prominently in Shah Rukh Khan's sci-fi 'Ra One' during a spectacular train sequence.

A perfect place to brood over life, this 3-km long boulevard that overlooks the Arabian Sea was beautifully used in Wake up Sid (2009) for some poignant scenes and deep conversations. The picture-perfect scenery which offers great water views, in fact, lent its name to a GP Sippy film in 1955. Titled Marine Drive, the film was about a bunch of smugglers working on this street who hatch a plan to make quick bucks. A part of the blockbuster 'Dhoom' (2004) was also shot here. Shah Rukh Khan's upcoming film Fan will feature this beautiful sea shore. The superstar's Deewana in 1992 too had scenes shot along the walkway.

A film about Mumbai or its characters isn't complete without a view of the iconic monument thrown in. Inspired by the Roman, Hindu and Muslims architectural styles, this structure was built in early 1900s to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary to Mumbai, but is today popular as the face of Indian history in Mumbai. Sequences from Ghajini (2008), Kalyug (2005), Hero no 1 (1997) and Mann (1999) were shot here, besides a number of regional films. Way back in 1957, the structure lent its name to a Om Prakash film starring Bharat Bhushan and Madhubala, which unfolds sequences in a night when a woman escapes some shady men and makes a plan to catch them red-handed at the Gateway the next day.

Claimed to be the world's largest washerman colony, the spot is a visual delight with rows and rows of concrete troughs (more than 1,000) fitted with flogging stones. No wonder then that it attracts filmmakers too, espeically when capturing the city's hurly burly. Kiran Rao's Dhobi Ghat (2011) was almost a tribute to this fascinating open-air workplace. Blockbuster Munnabhai MBBS (2003) featured a song and several scenes from here. Did you know this colony has been in place for 140 years?

This labyrinthine slum with over 60,000 structures is a city within a city with a notorious but colouful world. It's a cliche of Indian misery, and remains a muse of the creative. Mira Nair's 1998 classic 'Salaam Bombay!' used the slums to create cinematic history by portraying reality using real locales and characters – a feat repeated in Slumdog Millionaire. Films like Sarkar, Footpath, Traffic Signal too were filmed here.