While most people in Malta may not be well versed in the Indian version of Hollywood, Bollywood’s international influence has only gotten stronger in the last couple of years. And this is mostly down to multi-national movie conglomerates like Yash Raj Films, who have just set their sights on producing one of Bollywood’s biggest blockbusters. And it’s just started filming in Malta.

The film, Thugs of Hindostan, stars the best of Bollywood, with a stellar cast that includes superstars Aamir Khan and Amitabh Bachchan together for the very first time. Beloved actresses Katrina Kaif and Fatima Sana Shaikh will also be making an appearance in the film.

Thugs is currently shrouded in mystery due to its very high status, but is rumoured to tell the story of Indian pirates prior to India’s Independence era. Some gossip sites were quick to notice similarities between leaked photos of the sets and the international Pirates of the Caribbean franchise (with some even mentioning Game of Thrones), but these rumours were eventually all dispelled by YRF, who are frequently very secretive about upcoming projects. 

While the exact location of the shoot is unknown, writer-director Vijay Krishna Acharya said that “the set of the film is in a high-security water zone, with restricted access”. Over the last two months, a Maltese crew has been hard at work building two tailor-made ships that look straight out of the early eighteenth-century.

On Tuesday, an exclusive behind the scenes video was released on YouTube, showing the two battleships berthed in the secret Maltese location. Acharya continued by saying that “most of the portions film onboard these ships involve high octane action.” International paparazzi have also managed to snap a couple of photos of the Bollywood stars around Malta and their costumes for the film, which continues to create a huge buzz back in India. 

Initial filming for Thugs of Hindostan is currently in full swing around Malta, with the film being slated for a release during the 2018 Diwali, India’s Hindu festival of light celebrated every autumn.

Tag a massive film nerd!

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David Grech Urpani

Lovin Malta's Head of Content, Dave has been in journalism for the better half of the last decade. Prefers Instagram, but has been known to doomscroll on TikTok. Loves chicken, women's clothes and Kanye West (most of the time).