Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Ukraine today in what has been the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to the war-hit country since its independence in 1991. PM Modi’s meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky will take place at the iconic Mariinskyi Palace, in Kyiv later in the day.
Interestingly, the Mariinskyi Palace was also the filming location for the award-winning song Naatu Naatu from the movie RRR. It won the Best Original Song at the 95th Academy Awards and was also performed at the same global stage. The song’s energetic and vibrant visuals were captured within the palace’s grand walls, just months before the Russian invasion in 2022.
The production team of the Oscar-winning song had initially planned to shoot in India. However, the monsoon season forced them to explore alternative locations. That’s when they discovered the stunning Mariinskyi Palace in Kyiv.
Director SS Rajamouli recalled his initial hesitation about shooting at the presidential palace, but the Ukrainian team’s warm response put him at ease. “They said, ‘It is Ukraine, you can get the job done,'” he shared in an interview with Vanity Fair magazine. “The colours of the palace, the size of the palace, the size of the ground for the dancers to be there was the exact right size,” the filmmaker said.
The Mariinskyi Palace is a historic palace located in Kyiv, Ukraine, on the right bank of the Dnipro River. It is an example of Elizabethan baroque architecture and was built in 1747-1755 for Tsaritsa Elizabeth, the daughter of Peter the Great. The palace has undergone reconstruction, with significant work done in 1870. Today, it is used for government receptions and official events. The Mariinskyi Palace is adjoined by the neoclassical building of the Verkhovna Rada, the parliament of Ukraine.
PM Modi arrived in Kyiv, Ukraine, on a 10-hour train journey from Poland, accompanied by Foreign Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Adviser. He will hold one-on-one and delegation-level talks with the Ukrainian President, focusing on a negotiated settlement to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. India has maintained a neutral stance in the conflict.
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