Harrison Ford’s Indiana Jones franchise is a thrilling action-adventure with historical and mythical elements. It is a battle between good and bad which follows the pursuit of knowledge. This universal theme is what makes the whole franchise a relatable cinematic view.
The first film, Raiders of the Lost Ark, which was set in 1936, introduces the fearless archaeologist Dr Indiana Jones. It was followed by the second film, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, which was released in 1984.
This film takes place in the 1935 setting—a darker and more intense adventure. But do you know this film was banned by one country?
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom Was Banned by One Country
The villains that were in the Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom were Nazis. So, the filmmakers flipped the script to Indian mythology.
But the film could only take place once the filmmakers got permission from the Indian government to shoot the prequel of Indiana Jones. The government denied permission to film in North India and Amer Fort because they found the script offensive.
Frank Marshall, the producer of the film, explained, “Originally, the scenes were going to be shot in India at a fantastic palace.” He continued (via Wikipedia):
“They required us to give them a script, so we sent it over and we didn’t think it was going to be a problem. But because of the voodoo element with Mola Ram and the Thuggees, the Indian government was a little bit hesitant to give us permission. They wanted us to do things like not use the term Maharajah, and they didn’t want us to shoot in a particular temple that we had picked. The Indian government wanted changes to the script and final cut privilege.”
When the Indian government denied access to shooting the film in India, the film was shot in another location with an Indian setting.
Where was Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom Filmed?
So, as a result, all the scenes that depicted India in Harrison Ford‘ Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom were filmed in Kandy, Sri Lanka. The locations used for the film scenes are Macau, Hong Kong, Kandy, Sri Lanka, and California Sierras.
Most of the scenes in the film were filmed within these particular locations. The matte paintings and scale models were applied for the village, temple, and Pankot Palace to give an Indian touch. And the villagers seen in the film were played by Sri Lankan actors and actresses.
