Set in a Bungalow

You pay only for the bungalow and make changes to the existing infrastructure. But in a studio,you pay for shooting floors and the set up and there are extra pre-production days for erecting and dismantling –Roshan Abbas,director

A large porch,wooden stairways and a regal facade are the only constant features of Tehmi Terrace,a bungalow at Turner Road in Bandra,Mumbai. For,it goes in for a makeover–– turning into a dilapidated lodging,a shop,a temple or a snazzy apartment–– for every film or ad that is shot in it. It’s been like this for the owners of the house,since 1984,when they first rented it for the shooting of an ad of Dhaara oil. Heta Pandit,who lives in one part of the house along with her husband and mother,says,“My mother was approached by a friend of hers who was working with an advertising firm. She wasn’t quite sure at first,but then she thought why not,” says Pandit,who has no regrets about that decision,and has rented out the premises for the shooting of films such as Kalyug (1981),Badmaash Company (2010),and Bbuddah Hoga Terra Baap (2011).

The use of bungalows as sets of Bollywood films began in the ’60s,when filmmakers needed ready locations for shoots,but the studios did not have the dates for them. Among the early directors,Bimal Roy is considered to be instrumental in hiring bungalows for shoots. The Gold Mist Bungalow,at Carter Road,was his favourite,where he shot at least a portion of each of his films. The trend peaked in the ’80s and ’90s,when directors opted for houses over studios for shootings in order to cut costs. It was then that a number of “shoot bungalows” began emerging,and many of them are sought-after even today. Most of them came up on the Madh-Marve Road,which is lined with many a filmi bungalow –– Poonawala bungalow,Nair Bungalow,Kumar Villa and Bassein Nest. “Filmmakers back then loved shooting near the sea. That’s why these bungalows along the coast became popular among them,” says Chetan Shah,accountant of Poonawala Bungalow,whose large hall and long window panes take us back to good old 1989,when Salman Khan serenaded Bhagyashree in the song Aaja shaam hone aayi,in Maine Pyar Kiya (1989). Directors consider the bungalow to be a lucky charm as both Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan started their careers here with Deewana (1992) and Maine Pyar Kiya respectively here. Incidentally,Shah Rukh Khan’s house Mannat,which was earlier called Villa Vienna,was also used in many films,including Tezaab and Bombay,before the actor moved in.

Another “lucky” bungalow is the 31-year-old Bhalla House at Hill Road. The white house,with a large verandah,ornamental chandeliers,spiral stairways and spacious front facade,is a favourite with Mahesh Bhatt,who shot Janam (1985) and Naam (1986) here. Ram Gopal Varma shot parts of his hit venture Company (2003) at the bungalow,and Madhur Bhandarkar’s Page 3 (2005) was filmed here too.

While modern bungalows –– minimalistic,understated spaces such as Bougainvilla,owned by Mandira Bedi and Raj Kaushal,that was recently rented out for Soundtrack (2011) and Always Kabhie Kabhie (2011) –– are more in demand. Those with the old,lavish charm also share the limelight such as the Siddhi Sadan,which has dilapidated exteriors,paint chipping off its walls,and a barren garden is one such example. When the filmmakers rent it out,they colour the walls and bring in furniture. This bungalow in Khar has been a popular location for gangster films,the recent Vivek Oberoi-starrer Jayanta Bhai was shot here. The house has ample space to be turned around into a gambler’s den,a restaurant or even a garage. Art director Parichit Paralkar,who is currently shooting at the location for Y Films’ next,Mere Dad Ki Maruti,explains the criteria for selecting a bungalow. “It must be unassuming,the interiors must be minimal and the space large,so it can be turned into the area of their choice.”

Large space,both inside and the parking area,seem to be an important criteria as well. Poonawala Bungalow has both. So does 20-year-old Garden Retreat Bungalow in Borivali,the most sought-after today,with almost every star having shot there at least once. Parimal Shah,manager of the bungalow,says it owes its popularity to the location and its architecture. “This is the only Gujarati-Parsi house filmmakers would find today. And it has ample space to accommodate rooms even exclusively for make-up.” Films such as What’s Your Raashee (2009),Singham (2011),Mausam (2011),Dabangg 2 (2012),Teri Meri Kahani (2012), Ab Tak Chappan 2 and Barfii (2012) have been shot here. JD Majethia,who shot here for Khichdi-The Movie (2010) says,“A bungalow brings a lived in feel as opposed to just looking constructed. And a bungalow in Mumbai with scenic beauty around can be made to look like it is in any part of the world.” Poonawala bungalow,for example,was shown as being located in Bangkok in Ready (2011).

While most of these bungalows charge between ‘20,000 and ‘40,000 on a per-day basis,Tehmi Terrace,which is a heritage house,charges ‘40,000 for use of each part of the house. “We have divided the house into different parts –– the ground floor verandah and front steps,the paved side garden,front gate and garage,the terrace and so on,” says Pandit. This is not much money in Bollywood (studios charge between ‘50,000 and ‘1.25 lakh on a per-day basis),and is good for low-budget films. Roshan Abbas,who directed Always Kabhie Kabhie,says,“You pay only for the bungalow and make changes to the existing infrastructure. But in a studio,you pay for shooting floors and the set up and there are extra pre-production days for erecting and dismantling.” But it is not always the director’s call. Paralkar says,“The bungalows are mostly for the non-stars. Most stars who have been in the business for long prefer shooting in the controlled environment of a studio.”

Bungalows have strict working hours,unlike studios. “We allow shooting only from 7am to 7pm,so that we can clean the house after that,” says Pandit. Also,night shoots aren’t allowed at most of these bungalows because they disturb the neighbourhood. Some bungalows have lost their sheen after being repeatedly seen in films. Nair Bungalow,a spartan house with a porch and minimalistic rooms,was hot property in the ’90s but thanks to overexposure (Zamana Deewana (1995),Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi (1996), Andaz Apna Apna (1994),it is no longer in demand in Bollywood. Gopal Subedi,its caretaker,says,“Today,only Bhojpuri films and TV shows like CID are shot here.” Kumar Villa and Bassein Nest too have been relegated to staging mostly low-key shoots. Past their prime in Bollywood,they are unkempt and disorderly. Another reason for their decline is that Madh-Marve Road is too far from the residences of film crew. The opposite is true of Tehmi Terrace,which is surrounded by homes of artistes. Besides,Pandit works hard at keeping the structure intact. She has three helpers and a manager to overlook the shoots and keep the place clean. “It boils down to maintaining a bungalow,” she says.

Others like Bhalla House no longer rent out to filmmakers. Five years ago,owner Vikas Bhalla converted it into a play school. “It is more lucrative. This year,we even plan to start a high school there,” he says.