Bollywood backlot tours?

Radha · Apr 28th, 2005, 10:54

Hello,

I am off to Mumbai in a couple of weeks and was wondering if there is any sort of Bollywood studio tour one could do. There is no mention of anything like it in LP but surely LP is not the final word for all things India.

On a past trip to India I was in Nanital and they were shooting a film there - and it got crazy! Anyway, just looking for a firsthand Bollywood experience, but I may be dreaming................

TIA,
Radha

michep2 · May 5th, 2005, 07:08

Leaving on May 12th and will be there for 2 weeks in Mumbai and Pune. I would love to check out the Bollywood film city. Anyone have ideas on how to get a tour?

Paagla Dashu · May 5th, 2005, 07:51

Contact Shahrukh Khan at Mannat or Preity Zinta.

On a seroius note, I am not aware of any organised tours but some of the car drivers tend to be resourceful enough to get you into Film City or take you to Night Clubs frequented by the filmi stars.

Theon · May 5th, 2005, 07:59

There is a Bollywood studio tour and it costs around $80-$100 USD per person. I only know one person who took the tour and he was not impressed (it would be hard to impress me with ANYTHING for that price...). I'm sure you can find out more info when you reach Mumbai.

michep2 · May 5th, 2005, 08:01

Tried the internet and there really wasn't anything about tours. 80-100 is not worth it to me. I'll check it out over the next couple of weeks and put a post here if I find anything useful.

Paagla Dashu · May 5th, 2005, 08:15

Lets see now - USD 80 -100 translates to about 3500 - 4400 Rs, right?

Daily hire charge for an Aircon Car is about 2500 Rs in Mumbai - thats for 8 hours, you will need more than that with Mumbai Traffic. It will not likely be a coach tour - I doubt they will get enough interested folks to fill a coach.

If transport alone is about 3000 Rs - then the price quoted does not sound too bad to me - that is if you have an interest in Bollywood. I doubt it could be done any cheaper than that.

Many things in India are cheap but entry to Bollywood is possibly not one of them.

byronic · May 5th, 2005, 10:36

I have done a lot of research on this. IMHO there is truly no such thing as the Bollywood Back lot Tour. There are a few companies that are trying to cash in on the BW tourist industry. Popcorn entertainment has experimented with a 100 US dollar "package" tour of BW that has been a total disaster. The customer satifaction rating was like a minus 10 for the first few tours they held. (You can do a goggle search of popcorn entertainment bollywood tour to read the bad reviews) http://www.telegraphindia.com/104111...ry_3991317.asp.

If you have connections in the film industry, or are a Western journalist, there is the possibility of having the Mumbai tourist department book you a guided tour of Film City. But all you will see is back lots and possibly film crews setting up shots. Let me tell you, as I have worked in the film industry in Hollywood. Movie making is like war. It's 99 percent planning, setting up, and boredom, with about 1 percent ACTION.

IMHO the actual BW movie experience is visiting actual movie theaters and checking out how the locals watch movies in the theaters. In Mumbai you can also get a cab driver to take you near Shah Rukh Khan's house (I hear one actually has to walk a few blocks to get to his house as the street is for private cars only?). I had a friend who bought flowers for SRK and hand delivered them to the guard at his front gate (HAHA that was their form of yatra to SRKism). You can find out what clubs are hip with the stars this month and then attempt to get past the velvet rope. (I have had a friend who met Saif Ali Khan, and saw SRK this way) You could hang out in Colaba and try to get on as an extra in a BW movie. I personally am attempting to contact a BW "hording" painting company, so I can visit and watch the artists who paint hordings and see how they work. These type of things might be the best sort of BW adventure? At least those type of adventures would be unique one of a kind stories, right?

Thanks for posting this thread. There have been many threads asking the Bollywood Tour question. The consensus is, it does not exist. And IMHO a BW studio tour would be fairly boring and uneventful.

.

byronic · May 5th, 2005, 10:53

If you are in Pune, there is the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII). The FTII is the famous Indian film school that have graduated many great Bollywood actors and technicians.
http://www.ftiindia.com/
A good friend actually just walked up to the gate of the school and wandered about. She met a student who befriended her and took her on a tour of the film school and showed her his student film.
So If you are in Pune you could try that

xairoise · May 5th, 2005, 11:02

Recenly saw asha gill in lonely planet 6 degrees where she "accidentally" came across a making of a Bollywood Movie. I guess it was a re-run, but it would be fun to play an extra for a Amitabh Bachchan movie. But then, for a lone foreigner who doesn't know anyone.. Maybe it'll be tougher to get through the sets. Even in the philippines, they're pretty strict in letting other people watch the outtakes and close off the studios when filming.

Theon · May 6th, 2005, 05:27

If you're interested in Tamil cinema, you can visit AVM Studios in Chennai free of charge. If you're lucky (like me!), you might even get to see a big star like Rajnikanth.

crvlvr · May 6th, 2005, 06:07

For the Bollywood tours, check out: http://www.indiapackages.com/goldentri_bolly.html (is my google better than yours?)

From the website:

Day 07 / Mumbai ( Spend a day long Bollywood Tourism )bollywood tour, mumbai
The Bollywood Tourism Package is day long, split into two sessions.
1st Session: Bollywood Drome
Immerse yourself in the world of your favourite movies.
A specially created studio called BollywooDrome has been designed for the tour - with sets created to recreate memorable Hindi movie scenes.

It will be an interactive and participative session with performers, directors and technicians from Bollywood who will enact scenes from movies for the visitors, along with a question and answer session.

Action sequences - film technicians demonstrate how stunts and fight scenes are executed and finally how it appears on the screen.
Dance sequences - choreographers recreate the dance magic of movies with a demonstration on how it is done.
Scenes from movies - performers with a director will enact scenes and demonstrate techniques.
Q & A sessions - visitors can ask questions and get answered by the panel of technician.
Interval: Lunch at BollywooDrome in the style of a unit lunch.

mikkilake · May 6th, 2005, 07:59

I guess I should be embarassed to say this but I've never watched a bollywood film!
What language are they filmed in?

emjoi · May 6th, 2005, 08:07

I remember watching the filming of a dance sequence for a Bollywood film on the streets of Lucerne, Switzerland. It starred this quite chubby fellow, who was still very nimble on his feet.

(Sorry, that doesnt get you any closer to a backlot tour)

Hyderabadi · May 6th, 2005, 08:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikkilake

I guess I should be embarassed to say this but I've never watched a bollywood film!
What language are they filmed in?

Dont be, they are mostly filmed in Hindi.
For movie theatres showing Bollywood films in Atlanta, check http://www.indiainatlanta.com/, the movies link is on the left . There is a link to the DVD stores where you can rent the films too.

michep2 · May 6th, 2005, 09:31

[quote=crvlvr]For the Bollywood tours, check out: http://www.indiapackages.com/goldentri_bolly.html (is my google better than yours?)

this is a package deal and i only want a day trip. i did search goolgle. thanks to everyone else for your help.

Apr 28th, 2005, 10:54	#1
Radha Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Sydney Posts: 6	Bollywood backlot tours? Hello, I am off to Mumbai in a couple of weeks and was wondering if there is any sort of Bollywood studio tour one could do. There is no mention of anything like it in LP but surely LP is not the final word for all things India. On a past trip to India I was in Nanital and they were shooting a film there - and it got crazy! Anyway, just looking for a firsthand Bollywood experience, but I may be dreaming................ TIA, Radha

May 5th, 2005, 07:08	#2
michep2 Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: hoboken, nj Posts: 37	Leaving on May 12th and will be there for 2 weeks in Mumbai and Pune. I would love to check out the Bollywood film city. Anyone have ideas on how to get a tour? __________________ you don't find India, it finds you....

May 5th, 2005, 11:02	#9
xairoise artisan Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: manila, philippines Posts: 49	Recenly saw asha gill in lonely planet 6 degrees where she "accidentally" came across a making of a Bollywood Movie. I guess it was a re-run, but it would be fun to play an extra for a Amitabh Bachchan movie. But then, for a lone foreigner who doesn't know anyone.. Maybe it'll be tougher to get through the sets. Even in the philippines, they're pretty strict in letting other people watch the outtakes and close off the studios when filming. __________________ nothing... just looking ...

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May 5th, 2005, 07:51	#3
Paagla Dashu Unreasonably Unreasonable Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Where They Wear Clogs Posts: 1,223	Contact Shahrukh Khan at Mannat or Preity Zinta. On a seroius note, I am not aware of any organised tours but some of the car drivers tend to be resourceful enough to get you into Film City or take you to Night Clubs frequented by the filmi stars.

May 5th, 2005, 07:59	#4
Theon Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Toronto Posts: 146	There is a Bollywood studio tour and it costs around $80-$100 USD per person. I only know one person who took the tour and he was not impressed (it would be hard to impress me with ANYTHING for that price...). I'm sure you can find out more info when you reach Mumbai.

May 5th, 2005, 08:01	#5
michep2 Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: hoboken, nj Posts: 37	Tried the internet and there really wasn't anything about tours. 80-100 is not worth it to me. I'll check it out over the next couple of weeks and put a post here if I find anything useful.

May 5th, 2005, 08:15	#6
Paagla Dashu Unreasonably Unreasonable Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Where They Wear Clogs Posts: 1,223	Lets see now - USD 80 -100 translates to about 3500 - 4400 Rs, right? Daily hire charge for an Aircon Car is about 2500 Rs in Mumbai - thats for 8 hours, you will need more than that with Mumbai Traffic. It will not likely be a coach tour - I doubt they will get enough interested folks to fill a coach. If transport alone is about 3000 Rs - then the price quoted does not sound too bad to me - that is if you have an interest in Bollywood. I doubt it could be done any cheaper than that. Many things in India are cheap but entry to Bollywood is possibly not one of them.

May 5th, 2005, 10:36	#7
byronic back in the ussa Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Rang De Basantistan or Santa Cruz, CA Posts: 437	I have done a lot of research on this. IMHO there is truly no such thing as the Bollywood Back lot Tour. There are a few companies that are trying to cash in on the BW tourist industry. Popcorn entertainment has experimented with a 100 US dollar "package" tour of BW that has been a total disaster. The customer satifaction rating was like a minus 10 for the first few tours they held. (You can do a goggle search of popcorn entertainment bollywood tour to read the bad reviews) http://www.telegraphindia.com/104111...ry_3991317.asp. If you have connections in the film industry, or are a Western journalist, there is the possibility of having the Mumbai tourist department book you a guided tour of Film City. But all you will see is back lots and possibly film crews setting up shots. Let me tell you, as I have worked in the film industry in Hollywood. Movie making is like war. It's 99 percent planning, setting up, and boredom, with about 1 percent ACTION. IMHO the actual BW movie experience is visiting actual movie theaters and checking out how the locals watch movies in the theaters. In Mumbai you can also get a cab driver to take you near Shah Rukh Khan's house (I hear one actually has to walk a few blocks to get to his house as the street is for private cars only?). I had a friend who bought flowers for SRK and hand delivered them to the guard at his front gate (HAHA that was their form of yatra to SRKism). You can find out what clubs are hip with the stars this month and then attempt to get past the velvet rope. (I have had a friend who met Saif Ali Khan, and saw SRK this way) You could hang out in Colaba and try to get on as an extra in a BW movie. I personally am attempting to contact a BW "hording" painting company, so I can visit and watch the artists who paint hordings and see how they work. These type of things might be the best sort of BW adventure? At least those type of adventures would be unique one of a kind stories, right? Thanks for posting this thread. There have been many threads asking the Bollywood Tour question. The consensus is, it does not exist. And IMHO a BW studio tour would be fairly boring and uneventful. .

May 5th, 2005, 10:53	#8
byronic back in the ussa Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Rang De Basantistan or Santa Cruz, CA Posts: 437	If you are in Pune, there is the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII). The FTII is the famous Indian film school that have graduated many great Bollywood actors and technicians. http://www.ftiindia.com/ A good friend actually just walked up to the gate of the school and wandered about. She met a student who befriended her and took her on a tour of the film school and showed her his student film. So If you are in Pune you could try that

May 6th, 2005, 05:27	#10
Theon Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Toronto Posts: 146	If you're interested in Tamil cinema, you can visit AVM Studios in Chennai free of charge. If you're lucky (like me!), you might even get to see a big star like Rajnikanth.

May 6th, 2005, 06:07	#11
crvlvr Guru Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Hollywood Posts: 4,303	For the Bollywood tours, check out: http://www.indiapackages.com/goldentri_bolly.html (is my google better than yours?) From the website: Day 07 / Mumbai ( Spend a day long Bollywood Tourism )bollywood tour, mumbai The Bollywood Tourism Package is day long, split into two sessions. 1st Session: Bollywood Drome Immerse yourself in the world of your favourite movies. A specially created studio called BollywooDrome has been designed for the tour - with sets created to recreate memorable Hindi movie scenes. It will be an interactive and participative session with performers, directors and technicians from Bollywood who will enact scenes from movies for the visitors, along with a question and answer session. Action sequences - film technicians demonstrate how stunts and fight scenes are executed and finally how it appears on the screen. Dance sequences - choreographers recreate the dance magic of movies with a demonstration on how it is done. Scenes from movies - performers with a director will enact scenes and demonstrate techniques. Q & A sessions - visitors can ask questions and get answered by the panel of technician. Interval: Lunch at BollywooDrome in the style of a unit lunch.

May 6th, 2005, 07:59	#12
mikkilake Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Atlanta Posts: 15	I guess I should be embarassed to say this but I've never watched a bollywood film! What language are they filmed in?

May 6th, 2005, 08:07	#13
emjoi Some dude Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Melbourne Australia Posts: 134	I remember watching the filming of a dance sequence for a Bollywood film on the streets of Lucerne, Switzerland. It starred this quite chubby fellow, who was still very nimble on his feet. (Sorry, that doesnt get you any closer to a backlot tour)

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May 6th, 2005, 09:31	#15
michep2 Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: hoboken, nj Posts: 37	[quote=crvlvr]For the Bollywood tours, check out: http://www.indiapackages.com/goldentri_bolly.html (is my google better than yours?) this is a package deal and i only want a day trip. i did search goolgle. thanks to everyone else for your help.