Beware of Agents in Mumbai

GuinnessGirl

Many foreigners, myself included, are constantly being approached by agents to be extras in Bollywood films, hosts at parties, etc., for a small payment.

Accepting an invitation can be an interesting experience, but be wary of the terms. This is India: agents will tell you anything you want to hear in order for you to agree.

For example, being a host wearing modest attire at a family's private New Year's Eve party can easily turn into dressing like a tart for a night club party with 250 drunks.

A brief encounter of my experience can be found here:
http://mybigguilttrip.wordpress.com/...rties-part-ii/

sannna

My god! What a story - your Indian New Years' Eve was even worse than mine!

(I went to a "5 star hotel" which was supposed to have a good party until 5 AM - at 0.15 everyone seemed drunk, the sex ratio was 95 men to 5 women, men were not able to understand I was not interested in dancing, talking, hugging them, and the bar was closed and the food gone, the music switched off. I got groped several times, and emptied a bottle of beer in one asshole's collar for squeezing my butt while standing next to me at the bar saying he should be happy I did not smash the bottle in his face. His reaction was not to me but to the (male) friend next to me.. a complaint, that is, he thought I was his friend. Before I had a chance to kill the bastard I was smart enough to walk away. We left the party at 0.30, I hope nobody got killed after we left.)

When you are asked to work in "entertainment" in India as a western woman you can be sure they will ask you to wear some skimpy clothing. Be it a Bollywood shoot, a party or whatever. They assume as a Westerner you do not mind wearing whore-like dresses. And indeed many Western girls who worked as extra did not seem to mind.. At the shoot I attended once 15 girls easily agreed wearing the most disgusting dresses, five refused and got to keep on their own clothes after they made it clear that pink, lace and latex wasn't their style. You can refuse and see if they want to adjust their clothing plans, if not you can walk out.
GuinessGirl - the above is not to sound patronising, it's just to add to your warning.
I can't imagine even how awful you must have felt. What an impression of India and what a contrast with all those Indians praising their culture and boasting how much better it is than Western culture! What I don't understand though, and I hope you can enlighten me a bit, is why you accepted to wear the dress after all. Did you feel pressure from the organizer or the other girls? Did you need the money? Were you afraid to refuse, having accepted the job and travelled there by train?

ETA: I told your story to a friend who works as a scout here in Bombay. He seems to know the N. you mention in your post and told me he has a bad reputation. (The words he used were actually a bit stronger but I wont repeat them.) He feels things could have gone much worse and advised you to go to the police station in Colaba. I don't think you have much of a case though, as you were there on a tourist visa (I assume). However if you do want revenge you can register a complaint that he asks people to work for him on a tourist visa. But then again, I can imagine you do not want to spend your precious time in India at a police station...

holikarang

well, I'm sorry to hear you've got this bad experience, but as you have noticed, in India there is a certain cliche about Western girls and personally I would never accept a job from an agent in India.
@sanna My guess was that she didn't wear the dress and found another one, am I wrong?

__________________
holikarang

Cardamom

Yikes! Sounds like it was not a good new year. I'm reading your blog post now GG, and it sound awful. Sannna - sounds like you were about to give that guy a good thrashing!! Ugh.

They even pull this sort of stuff when shooting films in the US, I'm afraid. An acquaintance of mine (a professional dancer) was working on a film set here in NY/NJ and walked off the set because of what they wanted to her to wear. It was basically a string thong and bikini top made out of the US flag Of course, someone was there to gladly take her place, but this was just too unprofessional for her.

-C

kmalik

I used to suggest people, particularly women, avoid India during the Holi festival due to the awful behavior seen during that time. I have now added the New Year's eve to that list. My wife and I encountered some misbehavior in Nainital in a recent trip (not in a hotel, but taking a stroll in the evening on the Mall). And we were not too impressed with what we saw in Delhi on another recent trip. And that's when we made sure we got back to the hotel we were staying in by 9:30 PM.

palerider

Jesus. Walk calmly, and carry a big stick!!!!
What a mongrel.
People do get approached all the time by scouts in Bombay. I've been approached twice, but by women in Business clothes!!
They were real.
The work was as a boring extra in a legit. film.
I really think it's better to err on the side of caution.
Better to be a few rupees down than hassled by a pile of drunks.

__________________
I always wanted to be someone when I grew up, I realise now that I should have been more specific.

holikarang

I remember being in Varanasi during Holi some years back and I stayed home for two days. I was staying with an old Indian couple and they weren't celebrating or playing Holi....so my Holi was very boring!! The thing is that during Holi men get drunk and usually have bhang. I think the best way to celebrate Holi in India is staying with a family who celebrates Holi, not certainly in the streets (by the way...I'll be in India this Holi...)

edwardseco

Ah, the perils of the casting room couch so well known in Los Angeles (city of Angels)..

GuinnessGirl

Holikarang & Sanna:

H--you are correct. I did not wear the dress. I went out and bought another one and insisted on doing my own hair and make-up. When things got out of hand inside the club, I walked out.

S--you had a rough New Years, as well! Thank goodness we're tough.

GG

Dom

Wow GG thats one hell of an experience. Good on you to stand up to them and not take shit. Generally Men and Alcohol is not a good combination.

Nick-H

New Year's Eve...

My wife went to church. At 11.45 I lit a lamp and put it in the doorway of the house, wishing the world a better year. At 00.10 I read some really good news about the return to another forum of someone who has been dangerously ill.

Thanks for reminding me why I don't like parties: even the saner, decent sort.

Keshava

Back in 95 I was approached about playing a part for an Indian film in Banares. I'm a New Yorker and I got to play an Ozzie It was really fun and I got to meet all kinds of interesting folks. I never saw the film of course - but somewhere out there is a film with a very sunburned New Yorker doing a terrible Oz accent.