This is one of those locations that only someone like Mani Rathnam with his zest for showing unexplored regions/ areas/ monuments in India on the silver screen, can zero in on. The ‘Uyire Uyire’/ ‘Tu Hi Re’ song in the movie Bombay was the first movie sequence that was shot in this location, as far as we could tell. Who can ever forget the gushing waves that were slamming the fort as Manisha ran down into the outstretched arms of Aravind Swamy, A.R.Rahman’s mesmerizing score, the lush green areas surrounding the fort, all of which made the song & the location one of the most memorable song picturizations by the master film-maker.

As with other locations that Mani Rathnam has introduced to the movie going public of India, this location became quite popular after he introduced it and it has been featured more than once in films that were released after Bombay.

About the location (from Wiki):
Bekal Fort is the largest fort in the state of Kerala, India, spreading over 40 acres (160,000 m2). An important features of this fort are the water-tank with its flight of steps, the tunnel opening towards the south, the magazine for keeping ammunition and the broad and wide steps leading to the Observation Tower which is a rarity. From there one has ample view of towns in the vicinity like Kanhangad, Pallikare, Bekal, Kottikkulam, Uduma etc. This observation center had strategic significance in discovering even the smallest movements of the enemy and ascertaining safety of the Fort.

The Fort appears to have been built up from the sea since almost three fourth of its exteriors is drenched and the waves continually stroke the citadel. The Mukhyaprana Temple of Hanuman and the ancient Muslim Mosque nearby bear testimony to the age-old religious harmony that prevailed in the area. The zigzag entrance and the trenches around the fort show the defense strategy inherent in the fort.

Movies shot at this location:
Uyire Uyire from Bombay
Hey..Indha kadhal from Satham Podaathey
AnbE Sugamaa from PaarthaalE Paravasam
Adi Kaadhal Enbadhu from EnnavalE
Devudu Karunistadani from Prema Katha