Meerut has had a long tryst with Hindi cinema.The city has given tinsel town stars like Neetu Singh, Naseeruddin Shah, Vishal Bharadwaj, and Chitrangada Singh. But despite being the birthplace of so many Bollywood icons, Meerut hardly ever found favour with filmmakers and scriptwriters.

With such rich history, it is quite odd that the city did not see a film being set here for quite a long time. But of late, things have started to change. Not only is the city emerging as a new shooting destination for Bollywood directors but it is also the setting of several upcoming films.

With the shooting for Meerut 1987: a Love Story all set to begin in the city, we take a look at the upcoming and past films that have had our very own Meerut as the backdrop.

Described as a love story set against the backdrop of real life incidents that took place in Meerut in the late-1980s, the film is being directed by debutant director Prem Hans. Rumoured to star Jackie Shroff in a pivotal role, the film goes on floors later this month. This is the first time that a story set in Meerut is being filmed in the city itself.

Director Tigmanshu Dhulia has made no secret of his desire to make a biopic on Begum Samru, who ruled the Sardhana principality of Meerut in the mid-18th century. Irrfan Khan has been confirmed to play an important role in the film but Dhulia is still searching for the leading lady of his dream project. Begum Samru remains a popular figure in Meerut's history with several of the city's major landmarks like Begum Bridge and Begum Bagh still named after her.