Almaty has become an unusual filming site, with a Bollywood crew using the city as a stand-in for South Korea. Since the events of the movie take place in South Korean settings, Kazakhstan’s largest city has seen new Korea-style decorations pop up almost every week.
In late June, Kursiv.media noticed the Kazakh-British Technical University building being featured in the shoot. Locals have also spotted a «Korean» police department, with flags and shields featuring Korean-language writing — leaving their heads spinning, as it looked extremely authentic.
Last weekend, the Indian film crew reached the Arbat and Green Bazaar.
The market’s indoor pavilions were decorated with advertising banners of Korean brands and «Squid Game»-style posters. Signs on the meat stands were also rewritten in Korean, while red paper lanterns appeared above the aisles.
Visitors to the bazaar could observe scenes featuring actors wearing formal suits. Judging by the setting, the movie appears to center around the Korean mafia.
The name of the film has been kept secret so far, but the project has already drawn keen interest from citizens of Almaty.
Among other upcoming art activities by Indian creators in Kazakhstan is the expected visit by Bloodywood. The New Delhi-based metal band is coming to Almaty to perform on the Park Live Almaty stage in September.
