Diksha Sundriyal
Set in the 1990s, Netflix’s crime series ‘Guns & Gulaabs’ follows the story of four men whose lives are intertwined in the increasing violence between two warring cartels. Tipu Tiger’s father worked for Ganchi, the cartel leader of Gulaabganj, and is brutally killed by an assassin named Atmaram, who is rumored to have seven lives. When Ganchi falls into a coma following an accident, his son, Jugnu, takes over. Meanwhile, Arjun Varma arrives in Gulaabganj as the new narcotics officer. He intends to clean the town of all illegal activities, but the turn of events throws him into the middle of the chaos.
The show realistically depicts the conflict and chaos in a small Indian town with relatable characters. The creative duo of Raj & DK is known to focus on stories that feel real to the audience. This might make you wonder if the town of Gulaabganj is also based on a real town. Let’s find out. SPOILERS AHEAD
Gulaabganj is a Not a Real Town
There is a real town named Gulabganj in Madhya Pradesh, India. However, it is not the town referenced in ‘Guns & Gulaabs.’ There is no confirmation about whether the show’s creators based the town in the Netflix series on the real town. It could be a coincidence that they ended up using a real name. The creators most probably used this name to fit with the title of the show, which has the word “gulaab” in it, which means roses. The title refers to the American hard rock band, ‘Guns N’s Roses.’ It makes sense then that they would want the word “rose” in the town’s name.
The Gulaabganj in ‘Guns & Gulaabs’ is located somewhere in North India. According to UNODC, poppy cultivation in India takes place in three states— Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh. Though the location of the fictional town is not specified, the surroundings suggest it’s located somewhere in Uttarakhand. The filming for the show took place in and around Uttarakhand’s capital city, Dehradun.
Originally, creators Raj & DK wanted to film the show in Andhra Pradesh, where they’d also filmed their previous projects. However, when they considered the story’s overall tone, they realized it was better suited to a small town in North India. Moreover, they wanted someplace that would lend the 1990s vibe to the show. Calling the 90s a “simpler time,” they wanted to set the story in that era due to the lack of technology, which they believed added to the much-needed innocence in the show and its characters.
All these requirements were checked off by the locations they found around Dehradun, where they got the rustic vibe, which helped them achieve the look they were going for. To sum it up, Gulaabganj is not a real town, but the show’s creators did their best to make it feel like one.
Read More: Is Guns & Gulaabs Based on a True Story?
