New Delhi: Kenya is the latest ‘it’ destination for Indian filmmakers, with SS Rajamouli leading the trend. The RRR (2022) and Baahubali (2015) director has just completed shooting scenes of his movie SSMB29 in Kenya. Priyanka Chopra, one of the stars of the film along with Mahesh Babu, shared glimpses of her own time in the country on her Instagram account.
The news was shared by Musalia Mudavadi, the Prime Cabinet Secretary of Kenya. With a reported budget exceeding Rs 1,000 crore, SSMB29 is Rajamouli’s next massive venture.
“His team of 120 crew members chose Kenya after an extensive scouting tour across East Africa, settling on our nation as the primary filming destination where nearly 95% of the African scenes are being shot. From the sweeping plains of the Maasai Mara to the scenic Naivasha, the rugged Samburu, and the iconic Amboseli, Kenya’s landscapes are now etched into what is set to become the largest film production in Asia,” wrote Mudavadi on X.
He also shared pictures with Rajamouli and other members of the crew. Kenyan news outlets are also reporting on this historic moment.
Maasai Mara & tourism push
SSMB29 is not the first Indian film to be shot in Kenya. In the 1990s, Vishwatma (1992), starring Sunny Deol, Naseeruddin Shah, and Divya Bharti, became the first one.
But the current resurgence follows Ranbir Kapoor’s dreamy proposal to Alia Bhatt on 1 January 2022 at Kenya’s Maasai Mara National Reserve. At a recent travel trade show at Mumbai’s Jio World Convention Centre, Kenya Association of Tour Operators (KATO) Chief Executive Officer Fred Kaigwa said the country was expecting a 20 per cent increase in tourists from India.
In 2024, India’s arrivals into Kenya closed with 1,06,863 visitors, up from 95,038 tourists recorded in 2023, a 12.4 per cent increase. There is also a push for filming in the country.
This has also been attributed to Kapoor’s marriage proposal, followed by Indian influencers and even Sachin Tendulkar making their way to the Maasai Mara.
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Now, Kenya is looking to captialise on the country’s newfound popularity among Indians, pushing for travel packages from India.
Rajamouli’s upcoming film is also expected to add to this initiative, as Mudavadi also mentioned.
“As the crew departs today for India to continue production, Kenya stands proud, ready to share its story with the world through the lens of SSMB29,” he wrote.
(Edited by Ratan Priya)