"We have witnessed a substantial increase in enquiries as well as holidays booked for various destinations after they were promoted in popular movies," says Daniel D’Souza, president and country head – leisure at travel company SOTC Travel. "Cruise tours were in demand post Dil Dhadakne Do and the industry has seen considerable growth following this phenomenon."

Given the undeniable impact of movies on the Indian traveller, it makes perfect sense for global tourism boards to persuade Indian producers to come and shoot in their country. In exchange, they help with benefits like cheaper stays, permission to shoot in public spaces and assistance with finding the right locations. In fact, it’s not just movies but also Indian TV shows that are being lured in.

Nishant Kashikar, country manager, India and Gulf for Tourism Australia, attests to this: "In the past, we’ve successfully collaborated with the leading production houses to seamlessly integrate destinations within the story of appointment-viewed television shows – and these initiatives have seen some outstanding results. Our collaboration with Balaji Telefilms for their show Yeh Hai Mohabbatein [filmed in Australia, London and Budapest] resulted in an 85 per cent increase in bookings for Indian online travel company MakeMyTrip," he says.

The UK, US and Australia have been regularly featured in Bollywood movies for decades now. In fact, they’ve often been written into the narrative as characters rather than just acting as scenic backdrops. But Indian viewers are increasingly being introduced to new and untapped locations. In his film Tamasha, director Imtiaz Ali uses Corsica as the setting for two strangers to fall in love. Filmmaker Kabir Khan’s spy thriller Ek Tha Tiger, starring superstar Salman Khan, showed us Ireland and Cuba. Rohit Shetty’s Dilwale, starring Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol, went all the way to Iceland to shoot a romantic ballad.

Today, countries aren’t just leveraging Bollywood movies to drive tourism, but also Bollywood stars and their colossal social media followings. Actor Parineeti Chopra, who was recently deemed a ‘Friend of Australia’, posted a blow-by-blow account of her trip to the country on social media.

"Our collaboration with Parineeti Chopra reached out to her 34 million fans and followers. The video content featuring Chopra has received over 12 million views. We have also leveraged her video assets for our campaign UnDiscover Australia. As a result of these campaigns, arrivals and spend by Indian tourists in Australia for 2018 have grown by 18 per cent and 21 per cent respectively," says Kashikar.

In December 2016, Shah Rukh Khan was recruited to be the face of Dubai’s #BeMyGuest campaign. In the latest six-episode campaign, we see Khan – the biggest movie star in India – embark on a treasure hunt around Dubai, showcasing the sights and sounds of the emirate. The videos were accompanied by ads splashed all over social media, including on Khan’s Twitter account with its staggering 38 million followers. That’s the power of cinema. When Khan looks into the camera and seductively instructs you to be his guest in Dubai – you go hunting for that flimsy chiffon sari.