This was the sight about 100 invited representatives of the tourism and film industries enjoyed at the premiere of I Hate Luv Storys, at Reading Cinemas, in Queenstown Mall, on Wednesday.
Tourism New Zealand regional manager India and Southeast Asia Kiran Nambiar told guests Queenstown starred as itself for more than 17 minutes of the two-hour romantic comedy, including a four-minute daydream song and dance sequence "which could be a DQ [Destination Queenstown] advert for Queenstown".
The audience cheered and clapped when they saw stars Imran Khan and Sonam Kapoor performing in very familiar surroundings - Queenstown Mall, Rees St, Earnslaw Park, on TSS Earnslaw, Steamer Wharf, Queenstown Bay, Novotel Queenstown Lakeside, Wilson Bay, Skipper's Rd, St Patrick's Catholic Church, in Arrowtown, Queenstown-Glenorchy Rd, Glenorchy waterfront, the Dart River, and the Kingston Flyer.
Mr Nambiar told the audience pre-release publicity, specifically the Queenstown section, had reached 100 million Indians.
I Hate Luv Storys was released in India on July 2, cementing the resort as a holiday destination, particularly for romantic couples, he said.
Indian visits to New Zealand tourism websites had spiked dramatically.
The movie, described by Indian media as a "super-hit", grossed about $45 million in three weeks and had the 12th-biggest opening weekend in Bollywood history.
Film Otago Southland executive manager Kevin Jennings, credited for ensuring the shoot went to Queenstown and not Switzerland, said the movie was a "win-win" for both the tourism and film industries.
Destination Queenstown chief executive Tony Everitt said the project was a template for the future and praised operators for supporting Bollywood film-makers.
