A Walk Through Bollywood

Opened to the public on February 8, these tours have been well received. There are daily tours for groups of two to 25, priced at Rs 499, Rs 1,999 and Rs 3,250 a head. The one priced the least includes only a bus ride through Film City, past the houses of film stars in Bandra. ·Of high-end packages, in the former, they take you to a set where there might be a shoot in progress (if you’re lucky) and in the latter, you are taken to a live shoot. Two of the three packages are in association with Film City and have a Bollywood walk-through at this Andheri East studio.

“Bollywood being the largest producer of films in the world, the film industry is Mumbai’s USP,” says Jagdish Patil, managing director, MTDC. He says that their packages give tourists an option of visiting Film City, watching how special effects are made, and a walk-through of a TV/ film set, among other things.

Keen to experience what MTDC is offering, we visited SJ Studios. Though the entrance of the studio held some promise, the rest of the experience paled in comparison. The walk towards the “museum” comprises the “gully”, peppered with film posters of Bollywood classics painted on the studio’s peripheral walls. A cafe, at the end of the gully, has life-size photographs of Amitabh Bachchan, Priyanka Chopra and Hrithik Roshan, among others, as well as trivia regarding their favourite foods printed on the menu. At the museum, a mix of black-and-white and colour stills set against the stark red backdrop. The collection is a good mix of images from contemporary Hindi cinema and the bygone era.

The tours at SJ Studios are conducted by a travel agency called Bollywood Tourism. Their “trained guides” pepper the visit with anecdotes and trivia. This a private investment by the agency’s owner Manoj Gursahani. Gursahani roped in film historian SM Ausaja to curate the collection which includes popular Bollywood costumes, that guests can wear for a quick photo-op. “We have been conducting these tours for close to three years. About 15 months ago, we tied up with SJ Studios for the Bollywood walk-through. It’s been a popular feature that was part of our tours which we now offer it with MTDC’s packages,” says Gursahani. Patil says that MTDC’s tie-up with Bollywood Tourism and Film City is on a revenue-sharing basis.

Meanwhile, in the Film City, enthusiasts are driven on a tour bus while the guide points to various areas disseminating trivia. The tours, in spite of their steep pricing and a poor showcase, have generated interest.

However, members of the film industry are disappointed. Citing the example of Ramoji Film City, in Hyderabad, filmmaker Ramesh Sippy says their tours are perhaps the best in India. “Bollywood is the world’s window to our country. Why did the MTDC have to make such compromises?” he asks. Ramoji Film City’s tours include folk and film dances in arcades, stunt shows, musical performances, pre-built sets and rides, food courts and souvenir stores.

Film producer Mukesh Bhatt, also the president of the Film and Television Producers Guild of India, says that they have approached the government a few times, asking them to upgrade Film City for Bollywood tourism. “The Guild wanted to come on board with the government and Film City for a joint venture. Film personalities are the ones who run Bollywood and they should be the people who set up a fitting showcase of the industry. What is being done instead is embarrassing,” rues Bhatt.

Patil, however, says their packages are a work-in-progress and they will keep making additions over time, especially when the Film City upgrade takes place. “For instance, Bollywood Tourism (the agency) is introducing a 40-minute song-and-dance programme at SJ Studios,” he says. He believes that waiting for the Film City upgrade would mean losing out on business whereas by introducing features over time, can build a clientele.

dipti.nagpaul@expressindia.com