One of the oldest and longest narrow-gauge railways in England – the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway, in the Western Lake District, is featured in a new Bollywood film just released in Indian cinemas.
Comedy drama ‘Jhimma 2', which is a sequel to the 2021 Bollywood smash ‘Jhimma' features a journey along the breath-taking seven-mile long railway line, first built in 1873 to transport iron ore mined in the local hills.
Upon its release in 2021 ‘Jhimma' broke several records for the regional Marathi cinema industry in India and featured London as a location. It centred around seven women from different socio-cultural backgrounds and age groups coming together to celebrate life.
High ropes adventure attraction, Zip World Windermere, where visitors can get the chance to zip, balance and leap in the treetops above Windermere, England's largest natural lake – is another major Cumbrian attraction to be featured in the film.
Directed by Hemant Dhom and starring three well-established names in Indian TV and cinema; Sonalee Kulkarni, Sayali Sanjeev and Kshitee Jog, Bollywood fans will no doubt be eagerly anticipating the film's release on Amazon Prime at a later date.
General Manager of Zip World Windermere, Tom Patrick-Kenny says, “All the team were excited to welcome the cast and crew of Jhimma 2! We loved introducing them to our thrilling 250 metre zip-line and seeing them fly through the air down to the shore of Windermere as part of their new storyline in the Lake District. Everyone involved was so enthusiastic and friendly, and we're proud to have been a part of it.”
Rachel Bell, Head of Marketing and Business Development at Lake District Estates, comments: “India is one of our key international visitor markets, so the visibility of being featured in a high-profile Bollywood movie is a real coup.
“Film and TV is a fantastic medium not only for showcasing Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway, but also the wider destination. It's also a great way to build on the ongoing work we're doing with overseas markets as we continue to win back the confidence of international visitors following the pandemic.”
