Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, regarded as one of the finest movies, showcased several unique elements that left a lasting impact on audiences. Among many surprise elements, the film introduced Bollywood viewers to the vibrant festival of La Tomatina for the first time.
La Tomatina is a joyous celebration held in the Valencian town of Buñol, Spain, where participants engage in a lively tomato fight, playfully hurling tomatoes at one another for sheer entertainment. This cinematic experience allowed the Bollywood audience to witness the exhilaration and fun-filled atmosphere of this unique festival, adding a memorable touch to the film.
In the times, when Tomato’s price is on an exponential rise, ZNMD completed 12 years. And, what would leave you shocked is the fact that 16-ton (16,000 Kg) tomatoes were used during the shooting of the film. And all these tomatoes were worth Rs 1 crores reportedly.
In 2011, when the movie was released Ritesh Sidhwani shared how the tomatoes were imported from Portugal, as the local Spanish tomatoes were not ripe enough. He said, “To recreate the Tomatina festival and make it look authentic, we had to call for some 16 tons of tomatoes from Portugal, as the tomatoes in Spain were not ripe.”
Even the movie director Zoya Akhtar mentioned about the logistical nightmare it was. While sharing the details, she said, “Tomatina in Spain is a festival closest to our Holi.. they play with tomatoes and the world turns red for the day. The energy is infectious and the scene is a visual treat. We had a blast shooting this sequence but it was not all rosy. It was a logistical nightmare for the producer.”
“We shot in the same location where the festival actually takes place and we had to shut down the town for it. The residents of Bunyol were extremely sweet and in turn, they celebrated Tomatina twice last year, once for Spain and once for India.”
In the times, when Tomatoes are super-expensive, here is a video from 2019 when people celebrated Holi using tomatoes in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. After looking at this amount of wastage, anyone will feel disgusted and disappointed.
Gujarat: Holi being celebrated using tomatoes, in Ahmedabad #Holi2019 pic.twitter.com/eJDkz4MOuf
— ANI (@ANI) March 21, 2019
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