Tallinn Old Town recently transformed into early 20th-century England for the historical Indian film "The India House," bringing major Indian stars to the Estonian capital.
Directed by Ram Vamsi Krishna, the film follows Indian students in London who fought British colonial rule in the pre-independence era in the early 1900s.
The film takes its name from the North London student residence that became a key hub for Indian nationalist political activism between 1905 and 1910.
During filming around Tallinn's Old Town this fall, the picturesque Müürivahe tänav, for example, became Oxford Street, complete with British flags, while a major protest scene involving 150 actors was filmed by Cinema Sõprus.
Nafta Films founder and producer Esko Rips said that it was unusual for such a large crew to travel abroad for a shoot, with 47 Indian crew members in Estonia alongside Nafta Films' local team of around 70.
He said working across cultural and professional differences meant both teams had to adapt their communication and working styles. "We try to find common ground," Rips added.
'Tallinn feels like home'
Tollywood star Nikhil Siddhartha has more than 25 films to his name, including the 2022 Telugu blockbuster "Karthikeya 2," one of India's highest-grossing films.
Shooting for "The India House" marked Siddhartha's first-ever visit to Estonia, but he admitted it didn't feel that way.
"It just feels so welcoming," he said. "I don't feel like I've come to a different country; it feels like home."
Siddhartha also praised Tallinn's well-preserved Old Town and Estonia's collective efforts in supporting culture.
"Estonia is rich in culture," he said, "and I'm very happy to come visit it and shoot here."
Estonian slackliner Jaan Roose also joined the production as a stunt performer, handling falls, jumps and other action sequences. He said protective padding hidden beneath his costume helped cushion the impacts.
"I have to run on cobblestones, jump, fall and take a hit from a barrel," he said. "I'm doing anything that requires knowing how to fall."
The Indian production team considered filming in several European countries before choosing Estonia, Siddhartha said, thanking Rips personally for helping make the arrangements.
"The way they welcomed us, the way they described filming locations — we were blown away," the film star emphasized, adding that the film will also be shown in several Estonian movie theaters once released.
Film Estonia incentive's future uncertain
Rips said Estonia's 40 percent film production incentive helped secure the foreign film project. The "India House" team had visited other countries, including the U.K. itself, but filming there would have been more expensive.
After driving about 7,500 kilometers, scouting locations across Estonia a year ago, the filmmakers fell for Tallinn, choosing it over alternatives including Bulgaria and Lithuania.
The Estonian producer warned, however, that the Film Estonia incentive is poised to lose funding under the next government, set to be elected next March. Securing one production is only part of the challenge.
"I don't understand why our industry is being jerked around like this," Rips said. "Attracting a project here and working on it is one thing; attracting new projects is another, and we need them to keep the industry going."
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