Shivaay was filmed on location across Bulgaria and Uttarakhand, India. The early Himalayan mountain life was filmed along the quiet pine ridges of Landour and Lal Tibba near Mussoorie. High-altitude blizzard stunts and cliff-hanging rescues were shot at -19°C on Vihren Peak in Bulgaria's Pirin National Park. Urban car chases, van stunts, and syndicate showdowns were captured across central Sofia, Prohodna Cave, and the cobblestone hills of Old Town Plovdiv.
🗺 Interactive Filming Map & Live Navigation
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📋 Quick Facts: Shooting Spots at a Glance
| Spot Name | Real Landmark | State / Country | Key Scene | GPS Coordinates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lal Tibba & Char Dukan Heritage Ridge, Landour, Uttarakhand | Lal Tibba Scenic Point, Upper Mall Road, Landour, Mussoorie, Uttarakhand 248179 | Uttarakhand, India | Shivaay's Himalayan Home & Guiding Base | 30.4632, 78.0934 |
| Vihren Peak & Todorka Ski Slopes, Pirin National Park, Bulgaria | Pirin National Park, 2770 Bansko, Blagoevgrad Province, Bulgaria | Blagoevgrad Province, Bulgaria | The Blizzard Cliff Jump & Avalanche Stunts | 41.7674, 23.3992 |
| Boulevard Vitosha & Downtown Tram Corridors, Sofia, Bulgaria | Bul. 'Vitosha', 1000 Sofia Center, Sofia, Bulgaria | Sofia City Province, Bulgaria | The Downtown Tram Chase & Van Kidnapping | 42.6934, 23.3197 |
| Prohodna Cave & Karlukovo Karst Gorge, Lovech Province, Bulgaria | Prohodna Cave, 5782 Karlukovo, Lukovit Municipality, Lovech Province, Bulgaria | Lovech Province, Bulgaria | The Karst Cavern Showdown & 'Eyes of God' | 43.1750, 24.0736 |
| Old Town Plovdiv Architectural Reserve & Roman Amphitheatre, Bulgaria | Old Town, 4000 Plovdiv Center, Plovdiv, Bulgaria | Plovdiv Province, Bulgaria | The Old Town Cobblestone Pursuits & Safehouse Search | 42.1472, 24.7511 |
📖 Behind-the-Lens Filming Journey
Chronological shooting route across real mountain ridges, heritage estates, and open landscapes.
Landour Pine Trails & Lal Tibba Outpost
The first half takes its time around Landour's deodar slopes, well away from tourist noise. The crew pitched cameras outside Char Dukan and along the dirt paths winding toward Lal Tibba. You see Shivaay leading treks, sharing bun-omelets at small hillside stalls, and raising young Gaura with the white serrated crests of Bandarpunch standing tall in the distance.
Vihren Peak Crags & Bansko Snowfields
Shooting on the exposed rock walls of Vihren Peak was brutal. Wind gusts were so sharp that camera gear kept icing over, while Devgn refused to use body doubles for the cliff-face hangs. With the thermometer stuck at -19°C, a low-flying helicopter kicked up blinding snow during one solo take, leaving Devgn shivering with early hypothermia before crew medics rushed him into an emergency heated cabin.
Sofia Street Car Chases & Prohodna Karst Caverns
Once in Sofia, the pacing turns frantic. Bulgarian stunt units shut down busy downtown avenues over freezing weekends, staging live vehicle pileups along streetcar tracks as Devgn jumped bare-handed onto the roof of a runaway van. Later, for the gritty underground confrontations, the crew hauled generators straight into the natural stone tunnel of Prohodna Cave.
📍 Verified Filming Spots & Scene Guide
Field-checked landmark coordinates, on-set production memories, and scene timestamps.
Lal Tibba & Char Dukan Heritage Ridge, Landour, Uttarakhand
Living as a humble high-altitude trek guide, Shivaay assists mountain expeditions and falls in love with Olga, a visiting Bulgarian student who later gives birth to their mute daughter Gaura.
Landour locals still talk about the two weeks Devgn's crew took over the road between Char Dukan and the old Kellogg Memorial Church. These same deodar-shaded cantonment paths and vintage retro bazaar corners served as the fictional town of Gulaabganj in Raj & DK's dark comedy series Guns & Gulaabs. Early mornings were freezing, and between setup shots, Devgn and British cinematographer Giles Nuttgens huddled outside Anil's Cafe sipping hot ginger tea.
"Na aadi na ant hai uska... woh sabka na inka unka... woh shunya hai!"
Vihren Peak & Todorka Ski Slopes, Pirin National Park, Bulgaria
Showcasing his superhuman endurance and mountaineering mastery, Shivaay navigates razor-sharp glacial ridges to rescue trapped fellow climbers from an unexpected mountain avalanche.
The cliff jump that opens Shivaay was not a CGI stunt shot in Mumbai. The crew went up the steep granite ledges flanking Vihren Peak in midwinter, where winds whipped snow across the rocks at -19°C. Devgn wore a lightweight climbing jacket and hung from steel rigging anchored into the frozen stone face. After 40 minutes exposed to the rotor wash of an alpine camera chopper, his hands turned numb, and team doctors had to pull him into a heated snowcat cabin to warm him back up.
"Aankh moond kar dekh raha hai... saath samay ke khel raha hai!"
Boulevard Vitosha & Downtown Tram Corridors, Sofia, Bulgaria
After traveling to Sofia to reunite Gaura with her biological mother, the young girl is snatched in broad daylight by an organized human trafficking ring, triggering Shivaay's relentless pursuit through downtown city traffic.
For the multi-car pileup in central Sofia, Bulgarian municipal police cleared stretches along Boulevard Vitosha and Maria Luiza Boulevard over consecutive cold weekends. These same neoclassical Bulgarian plazas and nearby Nu Boyana film sets hosted Shah Rukh Khan's high-speed car chases in Dilwale. The scene where Shivaay vaults directly onto the metal roof of a runaway Mercedes van was performed live by Devgn.
"Jiske aage koi nahi... jiske peeche koi nahi... woh Shivaay hai!"
Prohodna Cave & Karlukovo Karst Gorge, Lovech Province, Bulgaria
Shivaay tracks down intermediate syndicate fixers, cornering armed operatives in the cavernous stone hall where sunlight streams down from the twin ceiling apertures.
Locals call Prohodna the 'Eyes of God' because of two symmetrical almond-shaped openings carved through the 40-meter-high limestone ceiling. Devgn fell in love with the natural lighting inside the 262-meter karst cavern and chose it over a studio soundstage. The production team had to haul generator cables and lighting dollies across uneven gravel, while gunshot sound effects echoed off the cavern walls like thunderclaps, startling resting swallows from the upper crevices.
"Bure ko mitaane ke liye shanti nahi... tandav ki zaroorat hoti hai!"
Old Town Plovdiv Architectural Reserve & Roman Amphitheatre, Bulgaria
Following clues uncovered from the underground syndicate, Shivaay combs through old European backalleys and ancient stone courtyards to locate the hidden apartment where Gaura is held.
Walking through Old Town Plovdiv feels like stepping backwards three centuries. Devgn spent nearly a week filming chase sequences through its narrow uphill lanes, flanked by colorful 19th-century timber mansions with bulging bay windows. Because regular tracking dollies could not roll on the jagged river stones, the camera crew mounted their rigs on specialized pneumatic-wheeled carts that absorbed the violent bumps of the cobblestones.
"Tujhe paane ke liye main aasmaan cheer dunga aur zameen phaad dunga!"
🧭 Filming Spots Travel & Transit Planning Guide
Practical road directions, seasonal weather windows, and mountain transit advice curated for cinema travelers.
| # | Spot Name | Destination | Rating | Best Season | Transit & Airport Tip | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Lal Tibba & Char Dukan Heritage Ridge, Landour, Uttarakhand | Landour, India | ⭐ 4.6 | Late October through February. The summer monsoon haze is long gone, and the snowline stands razor-sharp against cold blue skies from sunrise till dusk. | Leave your car below. The single-lane incline past Landour Clock Tower turns into a painful bottleneck if you meet a delivery van coming down. Park down near Picture Palace or Mullingar, and take the 40-minute uphill walking trail under the deodars—it is peaceful and saves you from burning your clutch on steep hairpin turns. | |
| #2 | Vihren Peak & Todorka Ski Slopes, Pirin National Park, Bulgaria | Bansko, Bulgaria | ⭐ 4.8 | January through March if you want to experience the heavy snowfall and icy alpine backdrop seen on screen. If you prefer hiking without snowdrifts, visit between July and September. | If you are heading up to Bansko in peak winter, buy your gondola pass online the evening before to dodge the hour-long morning queue at the base station. Carry wind-resistant goggles and proper thermals; the moment you step off the top lift at Todorka, mountain gusts will bite through standard woolens. | |
| #3 | Boulevard Vitosha & Downtown Tram Corridors, Sofia, Bulgaria | Sofia, Bulgaria | ⭐ 4.7 | May through October. Sofia's pavement cafes along Vitosha are open, street musicians perform near the fountains, and the mountain ridge of Vitosha creates a clean backdrop at the end of the pedestrian strip. | Skip the taxis and use the yellow Sofia streetcars or the metro. A day pass costs just 4 BGN (around €2) and covers every line across the city. You can also simply tap any contactless bank card on the validator screens inside the trams. | |
| #4 | Prohodna Cave & Karlukovo Karst Gorge, Lovech Province, Bulgaria | Karlukovo, Bulgaria | ⭐ 4.9 | Late spring (May to June) or early autumn (September to October). Around midday, sunlight cuts straight through the two ceiling eyes, projecting dramatic oval light beams down onto the rock floor. | Do not wear smooth-soled sneakers. The rocks beneath the ceiling eyes are permanently slick with mineral water drips, so bring boots with deep rubber treads. Keep a small torch handy if you want to inspect the dark side clefts where rock climbers bolt their ropes. | |
| #5 | Old Town Plovdiv Architectural Reserve & Roman Amphitheatre, Bulgaria | Plovdiv, Bulgaria | ⭐ 4.8 | May through June or September through October. Midsummer daytime heat on the exposed stone hills can exceed 35°C, whereas autumn days stay comfortably cool for walking. | Never attempt to drive a rental car up into the Old Town alleys—the cobblestones are brutal on car suspensions, streets are reserved for residents, and turning around in the dead-ends is a nightmare. Leave your vehicle in the paid lot near Tsar Simeon Garden and walk up via the main pedestrian stairway. |
🎬 Behind-The-Scenes Trivia
- ★ Ajay Devgn filmed grueling high-altitude mountaineering action in Bulgaria's Pirin Mountains at temperatures dropping below -20°C.
- ★ The dramatic cave confrontation was filmed inside the famous Prohodna Cave (Eyes of God) in Bulgaria, celebrated for its twin natural rock ceiling apertures.
- ★ The romantic high-altitude avalanche sequence was shot on the icy slopes of Vihren Peak in Bansko, requiring snowmobiles and mountain rescue teams on set.
- ★ The peaceful Indian family scenes in Shivaay's backstory were filmed in the misty mountain hamlet of Landour near Lal Tibba in Mussoorie.
✈️ How to Plan Your Visit & Travel Reality
Nearest Transit: Sofia Airport (SOF) in Bulgaria; Jolly Grant Airport (DED) in Dehradun for Landour/Mussoorie.
Best Time to Visit: December to March for skiing and snow in Bansko; May to October for hiking and visiting Prohodna Cave.
Local Tip: Prohodna Cave is located near the village of Karlukovo, 110 km from Sofia. It is free to enter, but wear sturdy non-slip boots as the limestone floor is slippery.
Official Tourism Resource: Official Bulgaria Tourism Portal →
❓ Frequently Asked Questions (Filming & Travel)
Mostly in Bulgaria and Uttarakhand, India. The snowy mountain action and cliff jumps were filmed in the Pirin Mountains around Bansko and Vihren Peak. The quieter Himalayan beginning was shot around Landour near Mussoorie, while the car chases were filmed on real city streets in Sofia and Old Town Plovdiv.
Vihren Peak in Bulgaria's Pirin National Park. At 2,914 meters high, its icy marble faces provided the backdrop where Ajay Devgn hung from rock cables in -19°C winter blizzards.
Almost entirely in genuine winter snow. The production worked outdoors in sub-zero Pirin blizzards without soundstage green screens, where Devgn actually developed mild hypothermia during a helicopter take.
Prohodna Cave near Karlukovo in northern Bulgaria. It is known as the 'Eyes of God' because two natural ceiling openings let sunlight pour straight down onto the cavern floor.
Yes, easily. Lal Tibba and Char Dukan sit about 6 km above Mussoorie in Uttarakhand. You can walk the quiet cantonment ridge road, grab tea at the hillside stalls, and view the same snow peaks seen in the film.
A lifelong Indian cinema archivist, Dinesh personally investigates call sheets, director notes, and satellite telemetry to verify authentic coordinates for Shivaay. All spot elevations, access roads, and transit advisories are vetted for genuine travel accuracy.
