SILAA – The First Bollywood Film to Be Shot in Son Doong Cave, Quang Tri

In recent years, international filmmakers have increasingly turned their attention to Vietnam as a unique filming destination, thanks to its pristine beauty and rare natural settings. In August 2025, Quang Tri will, for the first time, serve as the backdrop for a Bollywood production with SILAA, a film shot at iconic locations such as Son Doong Cave, the Tu Lan cave system, and Phong Nha. This milestone not only opens up opportunities to promote Quang Tri to India’s vast market of over 1.4 billion people but also helps elevate local tourism and Vietnam’s destinations onto the global stage.

SILAA – A Bollywood Production with 95% of Filming in Vietnam

SILAA is directed by Omung Kumar Bhandula, a filmmaker known for a string of acclaimed works such as Mary Kom (2014), Sarbjit (2016), Bhoomi (2017), and PM Narendra Modi (2019). Among them, Mary Kom - a blockbuster sports biopic starring Miss World 2000 Priyanka Chopra, one of Bollywood’s biggest stars, a familiar face in Hollywood, and a global beauty icon - won the Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment at the 62nd National Film Awards of India. It became a box-office sensation and one of Bollywood’s most iconic biographical films of its time.

The project was initiated by producer Rahul Bali, CEO of Innovations India, who expressed his desire to bring the beauty of Vietnam to hundreds of millions of Bollywood viewers. The main cast of SILAA includes Harshvardhan Rane and Sadia Khateeb – both well-known to Indian audiences. Harshvardhan Rane rose to fame with Sanam Teri Kasam (2016), which gained massive popularity across India and South Asia, later enjoying hundreds of millions of views upon its re-release on streaming platforms. He has since cemented his star power with Paltan (2018), Taish (2020), and Haseen Dillruba (2021) – one of Netflix India’s top films that year. Recently, Savi (2024) was a box office success in the first half of the year. Actress Sadia Khateeb made her debut in Shikara (2020), earning a Filmfare nomination for Best Female Debut, and recently appeared in The Diplomat (2025) alongside renowned actor John Abraham.

The film crew took photos before starting their filming journey inside the cave.

Blending action with romance, SILAA promises heart-pounding sequences and a deeply human love story. With a production budget of around USD 4 million (over 100 billion VND), the film aims to deliver grand visuals and powerful emotions.

Notably, 95% of its scenes are filmed in Vietnam, showcasing world-famous destinations such as Son Doong Cave, the Tu Lan cave system, Phong Nha, and Tan Hoa in Quang Tri, along with breathtaking landscapes stretching from Cao Bang, Ninh Binh, and Ha Long to Hoi An and Da Nang.

On July 30, 2025, a crew of about 100 members landed at Dong Hoi Airport to begin filming in Central Vietnam. From August 1st to 14th, shooting will take place in Quang Tri. The film is set to premiere in summer 2026, opening in 1,000 theaters across India before releasing internationally, including in the U.S., Europe, and Vietnam. SILAA is also the second Bollywood film to be shot in Vietnam, following the success of “Love in Vietnam”, which made waves when it debuted at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.

Oxalis Adventure, representing the Quang Tri Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Quang Tri Tourism Promotion Center, welcomed the film crew members at Dong Hoi Airport.

Top Filming Locations in Quang Tri Featured in Bollywood Movie SILAA

Son Doong Cave and Hang En Cave

From August 1 to 4, 2025, the first filming stops for the SILAA crew were En Cave and Son Doong Cave. This was also the most anticipated setting of the entire schedule. Out of nearly 100 crew members, only 12 people, including the main filming team and lead actors Harshvardhan Rane and Sadia Khateeb, entered the caves to capture key scenes amid the awe-inspiring grandeur of the world’s largest natural cave.

The scenes were filmed at Doline 1 inside Son Doong Cave.

Actress Sadia Khateeb shared her emotional reflections on social media, describing her time in Son Doong as extraordinary and challenging. She wrote, "I have a million things to say, but I’m short of words, I just wanna take this moment to be grateful… for giving me an experience of a lifetime… and given me this experience that I’ll cherish till the last day of my life!"

Actor Harshvardhan Rane also expressed his excitement at being among the few Indians to set foot in and film inside this natural wonder. During their time there, the crew made the most of Son Doong’s rare beauty, from its massive cave chambers to its lush vegetation, creating visuals that are both spectacular and deeply moving, providing a striking opening for the entire project.

The film crew is capturing footage in Hang En Cave.

Tu Lan Cave System

After completing several days of filming in Son Doong, the SILAA crew traveled to Tan Hoa Village, the starting point for exploring the famous Tu Lan cave system.

The first stop for the team was Hang Tien, the largest dry cave in Tu Lan. Its high, spacious dome is adorned with unique limestone swirl formations that evoke the image of a galaxy in outer space. Inside, naturally formed stalactite terraces resemble rice paddies, creating a landscape rarely seen anywhere else.

Hang Tien Cave’s dome features unique limestone formations resembling spiraling galaxies.

On August 8 and 9, the crew filmed in Rat Cave, one of the most striking dry caves in the area, with a corridor up to 30 meters wide. This cave was also chosen as a filming location for Vietnamese movies such as The Immortal and Legend of Quan Tien.

The crew members are filming scenes in Rat Cave.

During their time here, the crew stayed at Tu Lan Lodge, a weather-adaptive accommodation nestled in the Tan Hoa. Each room has a private balcony overlooking lush grass fields and surrounding limestone mountains. Outside of filming hours, some crew members took the opportunity to explore Tan Hoa Village, which was named World's Best Tourism Village in 2023. They were deeply impressed by the tranquil pace of life, the picturesque scenery, and the warmth and hospitality of the local people.

Blue Diamond Retreat

On August 11, 2025, the SILAA crew arrived at Blue Diamond Retreat, the main filming location for the movie’s theme song. Blue Diamond Retreat is an eco-camping site located in the middle of a primeval forest, near Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park. It is likened to a gem hidden among majestic limestone mountains, straight tree lines, and crystal-clear streams.

The serene, nature-filled setting provided an ideal backdrop for filming. The crew captured the beauty of the stream, the lush vegetation, and the architecture in harmony with the environment. Favorable weather throughout the day allowed the team to complete all planned scenes, resulting in emotionally rich visuals for SILAA’s theme song.

Blue Diamond Retreat was chosen as the main setting for the film’s theme song.

Concluding the August filming schedule, the crew planned to return to Vietnam in October to continue shooting in various provinces and cities, including Ninh Binh, Cao Bang, Ha Long, Hoi An, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City.

What was Oxalis’s role in the filming of SILAA?

In the SILAA film, Oxalis was responsible for organizing logistics and ensuring the safety of the crew while working in cave areas. This included preparing the necessary equipment, arranging meals, providing transportation, and assigning staff suited to the terrain. Oxalis’s experienced guides and porters accompanied the crew, assisting with safe movement, carrying gear, and ensuring that cave entry and exit routes stayed on schedule for filming.

Oxalis porters assisted in carrying equipment for the film crew in and out of the caves.

Drawing on experience from numerous previous international projects, Oxalis has always been able to balance staffing and logistics to meet the specific needs of each production. For example, in the Planet Earth III program, the company deployed up to 150 personnel to support a crew of only six members over three weeks, handling permits, safety, transport, accommodations, and on-site technical support. In large-scale productions such as Kong: Skull Island, with more than 150 crew members, Oxalis acted as a liaison with local authorities while providing locations and production support staff.

Alongside logistics, Oxalis placed particular emphasis on environmental conservation. All filming activities were closely monitored to comply with heritage protection regulations and to minimize impacts on pristine ecosystems. The number of people allowed into cave areas was strictly limited, and the crew was given detailed instructions on movement procedures and equipment use.

All equipment, machinery, and filming activities were carried out under expert guidance to ensure safety and environmental preservation.

These skills and processes have allowed Oxalis to adapt to projects ranging from small-scale shoots to major film blockbusters, contributing to promoting Vietnam’s natural beauty to the world. Following the completion of international projects like Kong: Skull Island and Planet Earth III, both domestic and international tourism recorded significant growth, demonstrating the positive impact of combining film production with tourism promotion.

Expectations for SILAA and the Opportunity to Attract Indian Tourists through Bollywood’s Influence

Bollywood is a cinematic giant, producing around 2,000 films annually and drawing an audience of more than 1.4 billion people. It is one of the largest film industries in the world, with significant influence not only in India but also across many countries in Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and the United States.

SILAA is slated for release in the summer of 2026, premiering in 1,000 theaters across India before its international rollout, which will include the U.S., Europe, and Vietnam. It is estimated that between 150 and 300 million Indian viewers will be exposed to the film. Even if only a very small fraction of that audience chooses Vietnam as a travel destination to follow in the film’s footsteps, it would provide a substantial boost for tourism, especially in Quang Tri, where many of the movie’s scenes were filmed.

To maximize the promotional impact, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Quang Tri Province, Oxalis, and various other enterprises have jointly funded the production in exchange for media benefits. As part of the promotional plan, the film crew will produce behind-the-scenes videos, feature images of cast members participating in media activities, and hold press conferences to introduce the film while promoting Vietnam as a destination. A highlight of the campaign will be a 40-second tourism video to be shown before every screening of SILAA in 1,000 theaters across India—an unprecedented move not achieved by previous projects such as Kong: Skull Island in the international market.