Director: Vijay Kumar Arora Starring: Neeru Bajwa, Gippy Grewal, Rene Costa Production Company: Dara Films Entertainment Kent Locations Used: Canterbury, Herne Bay, Ramsgate Marina
Paani Ch Madhaani (2021) follows the story of Gulli (Gippy Grewal), a rising star in the music world in 1980, who is waiting for his big break. Eventually, Gulli decides that the secret to success is becoming a duo and teams up with another singer, Gazal (Neeru Bajwa). The film follows the ups, downs and hardships of trying to make it in the business, and a burgeoning friendship that may turn into romance.
Scenes at Herne Bay include shots of the Clock Tower, Pier and Central Parade. Herne Bay is a coastal seaside town near Canterbury and is known for its 2-mile-long coastline, colourful beach huts, promenade, pier, and historical bandstand. Many productions have filmed here before including High End Yaariyaan (2019) and Two Weeks to Live (2020).
Production filmed a romantic song at Ramsgate Marina. Ramsgate is a thriving seaside town with beautiful Victorian terraced housing, a Marina, Port and Promenade. It often doubles for period London streets. Productions such as The Flood (2019) and Juliet, Naked (2018) have previously filmed here.
Scenes were also filmed in Canterbury City Centre. Canterbury is a historic cathedral city; the Cathedral is amongst the oldest in England. The city is a popular tourist destination which boasts a modern shopping complex with many restaurants and bars. Canterbury Prison is a popular filming location, with recent productions including Break (2020) and Avengement (2019).
Paani Ch Madhaani will be released in select UK cinemas on Friday 5th November 2021.
Writer: Laurie Nunn Director: Ben Taylor Starring: Asa Butterfield, Gillian Anderson, Ncuti Gatwa Production Company: Eleven Kent Locations Used: Shorncliffe Military Cemetery, The Hawthorne Trench, Folkestone Harbour Arm
During filming, production visited Shorncliffe Military Cemetery in Sandgate which doubles as a WWII cemetery in France in Episode 5, and The Hawthorne Trench near Canterbury which doubles as a WWII trench experience in France in the same episode. Production also visited the Harbour Arm in Folkestone Harbour to film a scene for Episode 7 with Maeve (Emma Mackey) and Aimee (Aimee Lou Wood) reuniting with Maeve’s younger sister. Sandgate is a village in the Folkestone and Hythe district of Kent, it has a pebble beach, two castles and Martello Towers. A recent TV drama filmed in the area which is due to air in 2022.
Hawthorne Trench, located in Elham near Canterbury, is an area of recreated World War One trench systems which totals over 250 metres. Currently the Trench consists of an Officers’ dugout, regimental aid posts, cookhouses, railway systems, latrines as well as front and second line which is connected by communication trenches. The trench is located on a 25-acre field with nearby woodland which can also be used for filming.
Writer: Nick Bain Director: Karthik Subbaraj Starring: James Cosmo, Dhanush, Aishwarya Lekshmi Production Company: Reliance Entertainment Kent Locations Used: Faversham, Chillenden Windmill, Herne Bay, Knowlton Court, Ramsgate
Jagame Thandhiram (2021) is a Tamil action thriller about an Indian gangster who is hired by a UK gang to take down their competition. When he betrays their trust, however, the gang seeks revenge.
The production filmed several day and night scenes in the centre of Faversham where they converted various shops, set up a street market and staged a large dance sequence. Production also filmed at Iron Wharf in Faversham, which doubles as a boatyard for a scene where the two rival gangs fight and Suruli kills Rajan (Muthukumar). The exterior of St Mary of Charity church in Faversham is where Suruli tells Attila that he loves her.
Driving scenes were staged around Chillenden Windmill near Canterbury, including a snowy scene on Goodnestone Road where Suruli’s gang kill the opposing gang members and capture John (Roman Fiori).
Herne Bay Pier, Neptune Arm and the Promenade provided the location for a wedding scene, and The King’s Hall doubles as the bar where the two rival gangs have their first battle and Sivadoss’ (Joju George) gang is slain.
Filming also took place at Knowlton Court country estate near Canterbury in both the house and on estate lands., which doubles in the film for Peter Sprott’s manor house. The Church at Knowlton Court features in a funeral dance scene.
Ramsgate also features in the film. A house on Belle Alliance Square doubles as Attila’s house which Peter’s gang shoot at in order to bribe Suruli to go to Birmingham to carry out a job. The Port of Ramsgate doubles as a Marina where Peter’s gang plan a raid, and the opening scene of the film features a refugee boat being captured in the English Channel, which was filmed just off the coast.
Faversham is a beautiful historic market town in the Swale Borough of Kent. The historic town boasts over 500 listed buildings. Previous productions in the town include Bollywood film Pagalpanti (2019) and Walks With My Dog (2017).
Chillenden Windmill is a Grade ll listed building and distinctive local landmark, standing on an exposed site at Goodnestone, Dover. The windmill is on high open ground with fine views to Knowlton Court to the east and Ramsgate to the north. It is also situated on a circular walk taking in Chillenden, Rowling and Goodnestone.
Knowlton Court is a much-loved family home within a stunning and extensive country estate of over 1,900 acres nestled in the heart of Kent. Described as a ‘timeless work of Tudor history’, Knowlton was built in 1585 and has sweeping tree-lined driveway and seven holiday cottages. The Tunnel: Sabotage (2016) filmed here and the main hall is now available for weddings and events.
Ramsgate, located in the district of Thanet, is a thriving seaside town with beautiful Georgian terraced housing, Marina, Port and Promenade. Previous TV productions which filmed here include Baptiste (2019) and The Tunnel: Vengeance (2017).
Jagame Thandhiramwill be released on Netflix on Friday 18th June 2021.
Writer: Julie Wassmer, Øystein Karlsen, Mike Walden, Rachel Flowerday, Alastair Galbraith Directors: David Caffrey, Jon Jones Starring: Kerry Godliman, Howard Charles, Frances Barber Production Company: Buccaneer Media Kent Locations Used: Whitstable, Canterbury, Faversham, Herne Bay, Margate, Ramsgate, Detling, Dover, Maidstone
Based on the much loved series of novels ‘The Whitstable Pearl Mysteries’ by Kent resident Julie Wassmer (EastEnders, London’s Burning), Whitstable Pearl (2021) is a six part detective series for Acorn TV. The story follows big-hearted local restaurant owner Pearl Nolan (Kerry Godliman) who sets up a local detective agency after undergoing police training in an earlier career. She is soon embroiled in her first case when she discovers the body of close friend, Vinnie. Pearl forms an unlikely partnership with DCI Mike McGuire (Howard Charles) and finds herself pulled into the dark underbelly of the picturesque town she calls home.
Whitstable High Street features in the show and local shops were filmed including Iain’s Plaice (fish and chip restaurant), Gilbert’s Cafe and art gallery Chappell Contemporary which doubles as Houlihan’s Hardware store. Other Whitstable businesses filmed include the Cemetery, Football Ground, MFA Bowl and Seaview Holiday Park, which features as the trailer park where Vinnie and Connie live. Several private residences were used for filming including Beacon House as Pearl’s House located on Tankerton Beach and several other properties across Whitstable town.
Interior scenes were filmed at St Martin’s Hospital in Canterbury doubling as a police station and a hospital, while The Citadel doubles as a Police Station and a children’s home. In Episode 3, Jasper House on London Road in Dover doubles as Greenacre Social Club. Other filming locations include the Redsand (Maunsell) Forts off the shore of Whitstable, a field near Faversham at Belmont Park, Hall Place Enterprises – a campus of the University of Kent at Canterbury doubling for interior scenes for both Whitstable Hospital and Whitstable Police Station – and private residences in Herne Bay and Thurnham near Maidstone. Mount Ephraim Gardens in Hernhill also features in Episode 1 as the Azarov family rented villa.
Whitstable is a 16th century thriving seaside resort in Kent. Known for its native oysters, Whitstable boasts a working fishing harbour, shingle beach and busy high street. Recent productions to film in the town include The Great Pottery Throw Down – Series 3 (2020) and The Thames: Britain’s Great River With Tony Robinson (2019). Beacon House is a colonial clapboard wooden turn of the century Beach House. Set above the beach on a private sea road, the grounds include wild woodland gardens and views out to sea and lines of beach huts. Catastrophe Series 4 (2019) filmed at this location. Long Rock beach is a shingle promontory covered in grass with a number of paths across it. It is situated at Swalecliffe between Whitstable and Herne Bay.
Canterbury is a historic cathedral city; many of its original historical structures remain, including the cathedral and section of the city wall. The city is a popular tourist destination and a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. Sex Education Season 3 (2021) and Small Axe (2020) have previously filmed at locations in the City.
Mount Ephraim Gardens located in Hernhill, Swale is a late Victorian property with an impressive and grand columned entrance situated in 10 glorious acres of stunning Edwardian terraced gardens. The large hall has marble columns and an elegant staircase adorned with a highly decorative hand-rail. The original Victorian roof-mounted skylight is located directly above the hall, providing natural daylight.
Margate is a traditional seaside town complete with sandy beach, harbour, amusement park, period housing and ultra modern art gallery Turner Contemporary. The Walpole Bay Hotel & Museum in Margate was built for discerning guests in 1914 and extended in 1927. The hotel has five floors and 42 bedrooms and a museum space. The décor and layout is versatile to suit many eras and the hotel provides cast and crew accommodation and on road parking in a quiet cul de sac. Westgate-on-Sea is a charming Victorian town, steeped in Heritage with quaint shops and two fantastic blue flag beaches. Margate is popular as a film location with recent productions including Two Weeks to Live (2020), Pandemonium (2020) and Top Boy – Series 3 (2019).
The Port of Ramsgate offers 32 acres of dedicated Port Land including 3 modern Ro-Ro bridges and water and bunker facilities on all berths and the Ramsgate Harbour Approach Tunnel. It is often used as ‘stand-in’ for the Port of Dover. Royal Harbour Marina offers 700 finger moorings set in a picturesque and historic harbour setting. Crime dramas to previously film at the Port of Ramsgate include The Tunnel: Vengeance (2017) and Baptiste (2019).
The Citadel, located on Dover’s Western Heights was constructed in the late 1700’s as a port of defence during the Napoleonic war. Most recently it has been used as a borstal, prison, and immigration detention centre up until its closure in 2015. It is now becoming popular as a filming location and has welcomed several productions over the past year – soon to broadcast. Dover is the site of the famous The White Cliffs of Dover and has been used in previous productions such as Britain’s Most Historic Towns – Series 2 (2019) and Flog It! Series 17 (2019).
Small Axe: Alex Wheatle, partly filmed in Kent, stars Sheyi Cole (Made in Hollywood) as award-winning writer Alex Wheatle and tells his story from a young boy, in a mostly white institutional care home with no love or family, to his home in Brixton where he finds a sense of community and discovers his identity. Small Axe: Alex Wheatle follows Alex’s story leading up to the Brixton Uprising in 1981, his imprisonment and journey to recovery. The prison scenes portray the growing relationship between Alex and his cellmate Simeon (Robbie Gee (Motherland) who encourages him to turn his life around through self-education by reading and writing.
Writer: Michael Elkin Director: Michael Elkin Starring: Sam Gittins, Jamie Foreman, Adam Deacon, Terri Dwyer, David Yip, Rutger Hauer, Sophie Stevens, Luke Mably Production Company: Break Films, Scanner-Rhodes Productions Kent Locations Used: Canterbury Prison
A young, talented snooker player caught up in the world of serious crime when a local gangster and veteran pool champion from China offers him the opportunity to break free, realise his potential and become more than he ever thought he could be.
Presenter Dan Jones in Walking Britain’s Roman Roads- Copyright Rumpus Media
Presenter: Dan Jones Production Company: Rumpus Media Kent Locations Used: Canterbury & Pegwell Bay Beach
Walking Britain’s Roman Roads is a six-part series that follows historian and presenter Dan Jones (London: 2000 Years of History, Building Britain’s Canals) as he walks six of Britain’s Roman roads, exploring the different cultures that emerged along these routes. Episode one begins with the country’s oldest and longest road, running from the Kent Coast to Shropshire.
Production visited Pegwell Bay and Watling Street in Canterbury during filming for the Kent episode.
Pegwell Bay is the shallow estuary on the north bank of the River Stour between Ramsgate and Sandwich in Kent. It is home to a large stretch of sea cliffs, a nature reserve, mudflats and salt marshes. Productions such as Britain at Low Tide – Series 3 (2019) and River Walks (2018) have previously made use of the beautiful bay.
Canterbury is a historic cathedral city; many of its original historical structures remain, including the cathedral and section of the city wall. The city is a popular tourist destination and a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. Canterbury Tales (2003) and Great British Railway Journeys Series 11 (2020) have previously filmed here.
Director: Titus Ogilvy Starring: Michael Portillo Executive Producer: John Comerford Production Company: Boundless West Kent Locations Used: Canterbury, Maidstone, Chartwell House in Westerham
Great British Railway Journeys is a documentary series in which Michael Portillo travels the length and breadth of the country by train referring to his 1930s Bradshaw’s Guide stopping at places of interest.
Produced by Boundless West for the BBC, the episode is directed by Titus Ogilvy with John Comerford as Executive Producer.
In episode 11 Michael Portillo takes a journey from Canterbury to Alexandra Palace exploring the east of England in the inter-war period. Beginning in Canterbury, Michael treads the boards as he uncovers the political message behind a play published in 1936 ABOUT the 12th-century murder of Archbishop Thomas Becket.
In Maidstone, Michael learns of the international origins of the most British symbol of remembrance at the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal before paying his respects at a war memorial based on London’s Cenotaph.
Michael stopped off in Sevenoaks and travelled to nearby Westerham where he visited the country home of one of his political heroes, Sir Winston Churchill and discovers how the 1930s were wilderness years at Chartwell.
As the county town of Kent Maidstone plays an important part in Kent’s history. The River Medway runs though the town centre linking it with other towns such as Rochester and Chatham. The Borough of Maidstone is a popular town for filming, previous productions include Celebrity Antiques Road Show – Series 8 (2018) and popular Netflix show Black Mirror.
Chartwell House, Churchill’s former home. Set in delightful gardens,Chartwell is a National Trust property in Westerham, just outside Sevenoaks, and the rooms remain much as they were when Churchill lived there. Chartwell has previously been used as a film location by productions such as Flog It! (2014) and feature film Darkest Hour (2018).
Episode 11 Canterbury to Alexandra Palace airs on BBC Two at 630pm on Monday 20th January 2020.
Writer: Ben Chanan Director: Ben Chanan Starring: Holliday Grainger, Callum Turner, Ralph Ineson, Famke Janssen, Ron Perlman. Production Companies: BBC One, Heyday Television, NBCUniversal International Studios Kent Locations Used: Canterbury Prison
Sean Emery (Callum Turner) returns to take care of his daughter after being wrongly imprisoned in Afghanistan on murder charges. However, his life is once again turned upside down when new CCTV footage emerges which seems to suggest incriminating evidence. DI Rachel Carey (Holliday Grainger) is determined to get to the bottom of the story and soon discovers the truth may not be all that it seems.
