Shamitabh in Helsinski

The quest for virgin locations has taken R Balki to the European country of Finland to shoot Shamitabh. Balki has shot his two earlier films in Europe. Cheeni Kum was shot in London and Paa in Oxford. No Indian film film has been shot in Helsinki before. Says a source from the crew, "Balki Sir chose Helsinski after considerable thought. A portion of the plot unfolds in a European country. We needed a quaint quiet scenic European spot which hasn't been over-exposed in cinema."

The Big B who is taking a keen interest in the behind-the-scenes activities for Shamitabh had a big hand in choosing Helsinski.

Speaking from the location Balki said, "Ours would be the first Indian film to be shot in Helsinski.We are going to shoot in a place called Lapland close to Helsinski."