Tinsel Temple Town

EVEN as Prakash Jha and his latest film faced post-release political bashing, the people of Wai 8212; a small town in the foothills of Panc...

EVEN as Prakash Jha and his latest film faced post-release political bashing, the people of Wai 8212; a small town in the foothills of Panchgani 8212; flocked in droves to the cinema hall showing Gangaajal.

A 8216;8216;Sold Out8217;8217; sign sprung up outside a cinema hall minutes after sales opened. What is more interesting is that many faces in the first-day-first-show crowd at the hall were the same as those in the mob scenes on the screen inside. Located 85 kms from Pune in neighbouring Satara district, this temple town has played the village of Tejpur in Gangaajal. Wai is now the hotspot for Bollywood shoots. 8216;8216;The whole area, with its proximity to Panchgani and Mahabaleshwar, is beautiful and makes for an excellent location,8217;8217; says Jha.

Jha 8216;8216;discovered8217;8217; Wai when he was shooting for Mrityudand in 1995-96. He has returned here several times since. 8216;8216;Wai fits the filmmakers8217; bill,8217;8217; says Surendra Sathe, a local who arranges shoots.

Wai had earlier lent background to Goonj Oothi Shehnai, then saw Rishi Kapoor dancing in a festival for Sargam and a few other dance sequences on the banks of the Krishna.

However, Wai actually showed up on the filmmakers8217; radar after Purush in 1989. 8216;8216;The Wadas mansions in and around Wai played a vital role in Arjun Pandit,8217;8217; recalls Prakash Phanase, a local production man. Then Jha shot Mrityudand in 1997 with Madhuri Dixit at a well-preserved 18th century mansion built by legendary Maratha statesman Nana Phadnavees.

8216;8216;Many people got roles in these films, besides the ones in the mob scenes,8217;8217; adds Sathe, while talking about the shooting of Gangaajal. Like medical practitioner Deepali Pange from Satara who has a small but significant role in the film. 8216;8216;Wai emerging as a shooting hotspot will certainly help people like me,8217;8217; she says.

Both Phanase and Sathe are now busy finishing preliminary arrangements and hunting for locations for Ashutosh Gowariker8217;s Swadesh. A wada at nearby Varkhadwadi is a hot contender. 8216;8216;We recently completed a schedule for a Punjabi film Jo Bole So Nihaal and a few song albums,8217;8217; informs Sathe.

The villages which provide the backdrops have also benefited. Eight toilets are coming up in Menawali and Jha has donated to the Wai Municipal Council8217;s Krishna river cleaning plan.

Story continues below this ad

Going by Phanase8217;s estimate, Gangaajal must have brought in business worth Rs 1.5 crore to Wai. And location charges help maintain the old structures. 8216;8216;It8217;s difficult but in a few cases we have persuaded the owners not to 8216;modernise8217; their old houses,8217;8217; says Phanase.

This has a flip side as well. Concrete structures replacing old wadas are causing concern. 8216;8216;Our traditional look is our asset. That is what makes Wai perfect for period films. If that goes, all this will just be a flash in the pan,8217;8217; says Phanase.