The broken plane in Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol’s Gerua became one of Dilwale’s most unforgettable visuals. But it wasn’t a Bollywood prop. Shah Rukh once revealed the fascinating real story behind the abandoned aircraft
Remember the rusty, half-destroyed aircraft in Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol’s Gerua from Dilwale? The unusual backdrop looked so perfectly placed that many viewers assumed it had been arranged specifically for the song. But the truth is far more fascinating.
The aircraft was a real wreck that had been sitting in Iceland’s vast black-sand landscape for years before the Dilwale team arrived. In a behind-the-scenes video from the shoot, Shah Rukh Khan explained that the plane was already there.
Calling the sight surreal, the actor said they found a “half broken plane in the middle of nowhere.” He also made it clear that neither the team nor director Rohit Shetty had anything to do with damaging or placing the aircraft there.
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The wreck is located at Sólheimasandur, a sprawling black-sand plain on Iceland’s southern coast. The aircraft had made an emergency landing there in 1973 after developing trouble during a flight. Fortunately, everyone on board survived, although the aircraft was badly damaged and was eventually abandoned at the location.
Over time, the abandoned plane became a well-known attraction in Iceland. Its lonely presence against the stark black landscape gave it an almost cinematic quality — which made it a perfect accidental discovery for Gerua.
Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol turned the wreck into a romantic backdrop
Once the Dilwale team came across the aircraft, they decided not to leave the unusual location unused.
Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol were filmed climbing around the wreck, posing beside it and performing portions of the romantic song. The contrast was striking: the rusty remains of the aircraft stood against Iceland’s enormous black-sand landscape, creating a visual that audiences instantly remembered.
Gerua itself was designed as a visual showcase of Iceland. The song featured waterfalls, mountains, black beaches, dramatic skies and sweeping landscapes, with Shah Rukh and Kajol at the centre of it all.
The abandoned plane added something completely unexpected to the imagery. Instead of looking out of place, it became one of the most talked-about elements of the song.
What makes the sequence even more interesting is that the filmmakers did not have to create the setting. They simply found something extraordinary in the middle of an already breathtaking landscape and made it part of the story.
The real rainbows and freezing Iceland shoot
The plane was not the only unexpected element that made Gerua visually spectacular.
Shooting the song in Iceland was far from easy. While the finished video looks dreamy and romantic, Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol and the rest of the crew had to work through extremely cold conditions. Choreographer Farah Khan also spoke about the bitter temperatures in the behind-the-scenes footage.
Yet the harsh weather also gave the song some of its most beautiful moments.
During the waterfall sequence, several rainbows appeared naturally in the background. Kajol pointed out during the making of Gerua that the rainbows were real and had not been digitally added to enhance the visuals.
Shah Rukh was equally stunned by the sight. He mentioned that he had never seen three rainbows together at the same time.
The filmmakers did not need to manufacture the moment. Nature had already provided the spectacle — they simply captured it on camera.
That combination of an abandoned aircraft, Iceland’s wild terrain, natural rainbows and the chemistry between Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol helped make Gerua one of the most visually memorable songs from Dilwale.
