Why producers choose Kazakhstan for songs
One country gives a song several “foreign” looks: alpine slopes, canyons, desert, mountain lakes and open steppe. Most song locations are 22–324 km from Almaty, so the crew changes looks by road, without internal flights.
Direct flights to Almaty take about 3.5 hours from Delhi and about 4.5 hours from Mumbai.
Song locations near Almaty
| Location | From Almaty | Best season | Looks like |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medeu and Shymbulak | 22 km | green June–September, snow November–April | the Alps |
| Big Almaty Lake | 34 km | green June–September, snow November–April | the Himalayas |
| Turgen Gorge | 104 km | green June–September, snow November–April | mountain Norway |
| Charyn Canyon | 211 km | April–June, September–October | the Grand Canyon |
| Kolsai and Kaindy | 296 km | green June–September, snow November–April | a fairy tale |
| Singing Dune | 300 km | April–June, September–October | the Sahara |
| Aktau Mountains | 324 km | April–June, September–October | Mars |
For two contrasting looks in one trip, combine the mountains near Almaty with Charyn or Altyn-Emel National Park, where the Singing Dune and the Aktau Mountains are. In June and September both work: the mountains are green and the canyons are past or before the summer heat.
Indian songs already shot here
- Vaisakham (Telugu, 2016) — two songs, 15 shooting days.
- Agni Siragugal (Tamil, 2019).
- Members of our team worked on January 12 Vidudala (Telugu, dir. Anil Ravipudi, 2026), shot in the Aktau Mountains, at Boralday airfield and in Nomad City.
Timeline
- Scouting and standard permits — 2–4 weeks.
- C3 work visas for cast and crew — allow 8–12 weeks. Everyone aged 16 and over gives fingerprints when applying.
- The director and producer can scout without a visa: Indian citizens get up to 14 days per visit and up to 42 days in any 180 days. Working on set on visa-free entry is not allowed.
- Drone registration — up to 10 working days.
What our line production team handles
- Locations free of charge: we take care of national park contracts and fees.
- Dancers, bit parts and extras of Indian appearance, found locally — up to 3000 extras a day.
- Indian food on set, including a vegetarian menu.
- Transport, hotels and a schedule for the whole crew.
- ARRI, RED and Blackmagic cameras, lenses, cranes and lights at partner rates — nothing to clear through customs.
- Drone registration and flight permits.
How much does a song shoot cost?
It depends on crew size, the number of locations and shooting days. Send a brief with your dates and the looks you need — within 12 hours we reply with first locations and a ballpark budget.