<p>Ranbir Kapoor is celebrating his 42nd birthday today (Sep 28). And, on his special day, it has been learned that he might be&nbsp;joining the Dhoom gang in the forthcoming part of the movie.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>Dhoom</em> is one of the most celebrated film franchises of the Indian film industry and now fans are eagerly waiting for the fourth part of the movie.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Is Ranbir Kapoor part of Dhoom 4?</strong></h2>

<p><em>Dhoom 4 </em>is currently in&nbsp;the works at YRF under Aditya Chopra's guidance. As per recent reports by Pinkvilla, Ranbir has joined the franchise and will be playing the lead.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Talking about the movie, a source told the media outlet, “Dhoom is a franchise dear to Aditya Chopra, and he has decided to reboot the franchise keeping in line with the current times. Like all previous parts, the script of Dhoom 4 (Dhoom Reloaded) is been developed by Aditya Chopra with Vijay Krishna Acharya. The idea and vision is to create a cinematic experience like never before with the fourth Dhoom film.''</p>

<p>Dropping a bombshell, the source added that Ranbir is part of the forthcoming movie.</p>

<p>“The discussions with Ranbir have been going on for the longest time. He had always shown interest to be a part of Dhoom 4 on hearing the basic idea, and is now finally confirmed to lead the franchise,'' the source reportedly said.</p>

<p>Aditya Chopra feels that RK is the ideal choice to carry forward the Dhoom legacy, said the source.</p>

<p>However, there&nbsp;is no official confirmation on this yet.</p>

<p>Spilling more beans about the project, the movie will go on floors by the end of 2025 or 2026. Interestingly, the movie will be extra special for Ranbir as it would be his 25th film.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“Interestingly, <em>Dhoom 4</em> will the 25th film of Ranbir Kapoor’s career, and the actor is all excited to make his silver jubilee project special. He will follow up Dhoom 4 with Animal Park, thereby packing a solid punch this decade with an extraordinary line up,” the source concluded.</p>

<p>As of now, it is being reported that Ranbir will play a negative role in the movie and none of the original actors like Abhishek Bachchan, John Abraham and others will reprise their roles as the movie will be a reboot.&nbsp;</p>

<p>A source revealed that ''two big heroes from the younger generation will come on board to play the duo of cop buddies in Dhoom 4. Now that the core story-board is locked, the team will proceed to the casting stage. Dhoom 4 will not just be the biggest Dhoom film, but also a tentpole feature film of global standard from Indian Cinema.”</p>

<h2><strong>Ranbir Kapoor's work details</strong></h2>

<p>With the addition of<em> Dhoom 4,</em> we must say Ranbir is on a roll. The movie was last seen in Sandeep Reddy Vanga's <em>Animal.</em> Released in 2023, the movie was a huge box office hit.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He's currently working in Nitesh Tiwari's <em>Ramayana </em>and Sanjay Leela Bhansali's<em> Love &amp; War,</em> which also stars Alia Bhatt and Vicky Kaushal. He will also appear in <em>Animal Park.&nbsp;</em></p>


Ranbir Kapoor is celebrating his 42nd birthday today (Sep 28). And, on his special day, it has been learned that he might be joining the Dhoom gang in the forthcoming part of the movie.

Ranbir Kapoor is celebrating his 42nd birthday today (Sep 28). And, on his special day, it has been learned that he might be joining the Dhoom gang in the forthcoming part of the movie. Dhoom is one of the most celebrated film franchises of the Indian film industry and now fans are eagerly waiting for the fourth part of the movie. Is Ranbir Kapoor part of Dhoom 4? Dhoom 4 is currently in the works at YRF under Aditya Chopra's guidance. As per recent reports by Pinkvilla, Ranbir has joined the franchise and will be playing the lead. Talking about the movie, a source told the media outlet, “Dhoom is a franchise dear to Aditya Chopra, and he has decided to reboot the franchise keeping in line with the current times. Like all previous parts, the script of Dhoom 4 (Dhoom Reloaded) is been developed by Aditya Chopra with Vijay Krishna Acharya. The idea and vision is to create a cinematic experience like never before with the fourth Dhoom film.'' Dropping a bombshell, the source added that Ranbir is part of the forthcoming movie. “The discussions with Ranbir have been going on for the longest time. He had always shown interest to be a part of Dhoom 4 on hearing the basic idea, and is now finally confirmed to lead the franchise,'' the source reportedly said. Aditya Chopra feels that RK is the ideal choice to carry forward the Dhoom legacy, said the source. However, there is no official confirmation on this yet. Spilling more beans about the project, the movie will go on floors by the end of 2025 or 2026. Interestingly, the movie will be extra special for Ranbir as it would be his 25th film. “Interestingly, Dhoom 4 will the 25th film of Ranbir Kapoor’s career, and the actor is all excited to make his silver jubilee project special. He will follow up Dhoom 4 with Animal Park, thereby packing a solid punch this decade with an extraordinary line up,” the source concluded. As of now, it is being reported that Ranbir will play a negative role in the movie and none of the original actors like Abhishek Bachchan, John Abraham and others will reprise their roles as the movie will be a reboot. A source revealed that ''two big heroes from the younger generation will come on board to play the duo of cop buddies in Dhoom 4. Now that the core story-board is locked, the team will proceed to the casting stage. Dhoom 4 will not just be the biggest Dhoom film, but also a tentpole feature film of global standard from Indian Cinema.” Ranbir Kapoor's work details With the addition of Dhoom 4, we must say Ranbir is on a roll. The movie was last seen in Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Animal. Released in 2023, the movie was a huge box office hit. He's currently working in Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana and Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Love & War, which also stars Alia Bhatt and Vicky Kaushal. He will also appear in Animal Park.

Is Ranbir Kapoor part of Dhoom 4? Here's what new reports say

<p>Actor Abhishek Bachchan is mourning the death of filmmaker Sanjay Gandhvi. The director passed away on Sunday (Nov 19), after suffering a heart attack.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Remembering Gandhvi, who gave Bachchan his first hit, <em>Dhoom,</em> the actor penned a heartfelt note recalling their last chat.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/shah-rukh-khan-gauri-suhana-spotted-at-india-vs-australia-world-cup-final-660478">Shah Rukh Khan, Gauri, Suhana spotted at India Vs Australia World Cup final</a><br />
<br />
Taking to Instagram, Bachchan shared two photos from the set of <em>Dhoom</em> with the late director. Bachchan wrote, ''I took this photo of Sanjay whilst we were filming the climax of Dhoom 2 in South Africa. We made 2 films together - Dhoom and Dhoom 2. Sanju, when I spoke to you last week and we were reminiscing about our shoots and memories I would never have imagined even in my craziest dreams that I would have to write a post like this.''</p>

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<p>He wrote further, ''I’m shocked beyond belief. 💔You had faith in me, even when I didn’t. You gave me my first ever hit!!! I can never ever forget that or be able express what it meant to me. I will cherish your friendship always. Rest in peace my brother.''<br />
<br />
Sanjay directed two biggest hits of Bachchan's career, <em>Dhoom</em> (2004) and<em> Dhoom 2 </em>(2006). In the heist drama, the actor has played the role of a cop Jai Dixit.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
<em>Dhoom&nbsp;</em>was Sanjay's first hit, starred Abhishek Bachchan and John Abraham. The first film grossed over ₹290 million (Rs 2.9 billion)&nbsp;in India, becoming the third highest-grossing Indian film of 2004.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/bollywood/news-pak-actress-sabeena-to-wion-on-love-for-rakhi-sawant-srk-and-latest-show-kabli-pulao-660348">Pak actress Sabeena to WION on love for Rakhi Sawant, SRK and latest show Kabli Pulao</a><br />
<br />
Meanwhile, <em>Dhoom 2</em>, which featured Hrithik Roshan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, and other notable actors, went on to become a massive success. The star-studded movie grossed over Rs1.5 billion.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Ghadvi's tragic death came as a shock to most. Sanjay's daughter, Sanjina confirmed the news to the Indian news agency PTI.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Sanjina told PTI, "He passed away at 9.30 am this morning at his residence. We are not sure what it is, but it is most likely a heart attack. He wasn't unwell, he was perfectly healthy."&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Ghadvi made his directorial debut in 2000 with <em>Tere Liye.</em> He has directed films like <em>Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai </em>(2002),<em> Ajab Gazabb Love</em> (2012), and<em> Operation Padney </em>(2020).</p>


Actor Abhishek Bachchan is mourning the death of filmmaker Sanjay Gandhvi. The director passed away on Sunday (Nov 19), after suffering a heart attack. Remembering Gandhvi, who gave Bachchan his first hit, Dhoom, the actor penned a heartfelt note recalling their last chat.

Actor Abhishek Bachchan is mourning the death of filmmaker Sanjay Gandhvi. The director passed away on Sunday (Nov 19), after suffering a heart attack. Remembering Gandhvi, who gave Bachchan his first hit, Dhoom, the actor penned a heartfelt note recalling their last chat. Shah Rukh Khan, Gauri, Suhana spotted at India Vs Australia World Cup final Taking to Instagram, Bachchan shared two photos from the set of Dhoom with the late director. Bachchan wrote, ''I took this photo of Sanjay whilst we were filming the climax of Dhoom 2 in South Africa. We made 2 films together - Dhoom and Dhoom 2. Sanju, when I spoke to you last week and we were reminiscing about our shoots and memories I would never have imagined even in my craziest dreams that I would have to write a post like this.'' View this post on Instagram A post shared by Abhishek Bachchan (@bachchan) × He wrote further, ''I’m shocked beyond belief. 💔You had faith in me, even when I didn’t. You gave me my first ever hit!!! I can never ever forget that or be able express what it meant to me. I will cherish your friendship always. Rest in peace my brother.'' Sanjay directed two biggest hits of Bachchan's career, Dhoom (2004) and Dhoom 2 (2006). In the heist drama, the actor has played the role of a cop Jai Dixit. Dhoom was Sanjay's first hit, starred Abhishek Bachchan and John Abraham. The first film grossed over ₹290 million (Rs 2.9 billion) in India, becoming the third highest-grossing Indian film of 2004. Pak actress Sabeena to WION on love for Rakhi Sawant, SRK and latest show Kabli Pulao Meanwhile, Dhoom 2, which featured Hrithik Roshan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, and other notable actors, went on to become a massive success. The star-studded movie grossed over Rs1.5 billion. Ghadvi's tragic death came as a shock to most. Sanjay's daughter, Sanjina confirmed the news to the Indian news agency PTI. Sanjina told PTI, "He passed away at 9.30 am this morning at his residence. We are not sure what it is, but it is most likely a heart attack. He wasn't unwell, he was perfectly healthy." Ghadvi made his directorial debut in 2000 with Tere Liye. He has directed films like Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai (2002), Ajab Gazabb Love (2012), and Operation Padney (2020).

Abhishek Bachchan pays tribute to Dhoom director Sanjay Gadhvi: You gave me my first ever hit

<p>I arrived in Mumbai like legions of aspiring actors before me, and doubtless many more to come: with heady dreams of Bollywood stardom.</p>

<p>I have to admit that before moving to India, I had seen exactly one Bollywood film, and that was &ldquo;Dhoom 1&rdquo;, not exactly the height of cinematic achievement, I realise in retrospect, but I was hooked. I also (as mentioned in a previous post) had the dubious honour of singing &ldquo;Tere Liye&rdquo; from &ldquo;Prince&rdquo; at a Diwali Ball in graduate school. I didn&rsquo;t have the faintest idea what the lyrics meant, and (having been trained in opera in my youth) I sang it like Br&uuml;nnhilde. It was all very weird. When I learned that during my tenure in Mumbai, I&rsquo;d be living mere blocks away from the legendary Shahrukh Khan, I believe my words were &ldquo;Sharoo Who?&rdquo; (Oh the heresy! The naivet&eacute;!)</p>

<p>I&rsquo;ve been an avid thespian since I was 7 or so, chiefly acting in Shakespeare plays and musicals, so Bollywood &ndash; with its flair for melodrama, fondness for spectacle, and characters&rsquo; propensities for spontaneously bursting into elaborate song and dance routines &ndash; was a logical extension of my tastes. And once I got it into my head that I would portray the ing&eacute;nue in Amir Khan&rsquo;s next blockbuster (Dangal 2), I set about doing my homework.</p>

<p>I bought bootleg films in the local market and visited nearby movie stores to purchase boxed sets of Greatest Hits. I polled my coworkers for their all-time favourite Bollywood films and made a point of watching every movie they suggested [1]. A fellow Clinton fellow and Bollywood fanatic, the lovely Yasin Khan, and I teamed up to watch an Alia Bhatt flick &ldquo;together&rdquo; over Skype: her in Darjeeling, me in Chennai. Poor internet connections on both ends meant we had to re-sync our copies dozens of times, but we persevered.</p>

<p>One of my seminal experiences as a temporary Mumbaikar was patronising a matinee screening of Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ) [2] at the Maratha Mandir theatre. This particular venue has been showing DDLJ, perhaps the most iconic movie in Bollywood history, every. single. day. since its debut in 1995 [3]. When Katrina and I attended a showing one weekend morning in early February, I expected to find the theatre virtually empty &ndash; for who could possibly want to watch a film that&rsquo;s been running for 22 years at 11:30 am on a Sunday? To my enormous surprise, the balcony was absolutely packed to the gills with raucous moviegoers. Thus began one of the most absurd and electrifying crowd spectacles I&rsquo;ve ever experienced; indeed, it felt more reminiscent of a football game than a film screening.</p>

<p>When Kajol and SRK made their first appearances onscreen, the spectators erupted in cheers and wolf-whistles; they sang along with every song and recited large chunks of dialogue word-perfectly; at intermission they streamed out into the lobby for samosas and steaming cups of chai, chattering delightedly; and moments after the final epic train scene, when Kajol&rsquo;s dad utters the now iconic lines &ldquo;Ja Simran, ja, jee le apni zindagi!&rdquo; (&ldquo;Go Simran, go, live your life!&rdquo;), the whooping and hollering crowd almost instantaneously dispersed, leaving an eerily quiet balcony littered with samosa wrappers and paper chai cups in their wake. It was an experience as bizarre as it was delightful, and it ranks among my warmest Mumbai memories.</p>

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<p>Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge celebrates 900 weeks of continuous showings at the Maratha Mandir: &ldquo;The One with Heart Will Win the Bride&rdquo;. (Others)</p>
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<p>My first decisive step towards Inevitable Stardom was to enrol in Anupam Kher&rsquo;s evening acting course, thinking it might be a good way to hone my technique and make contacts in the industry. Alas, I quit after the third session: the course was conducted entirely in Hindi, and my language skills weren&rsquo;t nearly strong enough for me to grasp the finer aspects of the Stanislavski Method. I also didn&rsquo;t particularly relish the thought of spending three hours every evening for the next month pretending to be a snowflake&nbsp;[4].</p>

<p>I set about creating half a dozen online audition profiles and cold-emailing scores of casting directors. In time, all manner of bizarre audition notices began trickling in. At one point it seemed likely that I would be the face of India&rsquo;s leading deodorant brand (huzzah!), but sadly that particular career-making windfall never came to pass. There were several offers that offended my dignity: I turned down a chance to advertise razors since doing so required posing nearly nude. I was cast in a web-series as a stock western character with &ldquo;loose morals&rdquo; but I did not feel comfortable with the behaviors I would be required to portray, nor did I wish to perpetuate stereotypes about my race. My most persistent pursuer &ndash; who regaled me with dozens of emails and phone calls despite my repeated refusals &ndash; seemed quite desperate to find Western actresses willing to wear a revealing Mrs Claus costume at a gentleman&rsquo;s club in Delhi.</p>

<p>A few of my attempts to break into the Indian acting world came tantalisingly close to fruition. I was cast as a British publisher in an independent film and met personally with the director to review the script and discuss scheduling, but the filming dates kept getting postponed until finally, it was time for me to leave India. I was asked to make an emergency appearance at a Bandra studio to play a bit part in a Marathi serial, but the director never followed up with a specific location. I gave a screen test at Yash Raj Studios, to no avail. I was also invited to audition for the lead in a Niraj Pandey film (my big break at last??); but once again, the agent never provided audition details. Quite near the end of the fellowship, I joined the cast of a Hindi-language production of Macbeth (a ludicrously improbable confluence of so many things I adore), but ultimately work and family obligations took precedence.</p>

<p>At around the halfway point of the fellowship, I resolved to take matters into my own hands. Mumbai guidebooks will tell you that a Westerner hoping to serve as an extra on a Bollywood film set can often get &ldquo;scouted&rdquo; in certain touristy areas of town. I sipped countless cold coffees at the Leopold Caf&eacute; on Colaba Causeway, with my hair coiffed and a neat stack of resumes resting coyly on the table beside me. I repeatedly visited a hostel where tourists can sign up for same-day gigs and was told (much to my bafflement!) that all the studios in the city were &ldquo;shut for the season.&rdquo; I religiously attended theatrical performances all over Mumbai &ndash; at the Prithvi Theater, St. Andrew&rsquo;s Auditorium, the National Centre for the Performing Arts &ndash; in hopes of forging directorial contacts. I even tried to put up my own production of one of my favourite musicals, &ldquo;The Last Five Years,&rdquo; but was unable to cast a crucial role.</p>

<p>In the end &ndash; spoiler alert, dear friends! &ndash; I never &ldquo;made it&rdquo; in the way I had envisioned. I guess Bollywood stardom is just one of those bucket list items I&rsquo;ll have to consign to the failure pile, along with becoming a guzheng (Chinese zither) virtuoso and successfully knitting socks. Perhaps I am doomed to spend the rest of my film-watching days bitterly coveting all of Kalki Koechlin&rsquo;s roles. In the end, however, I have no regrets about my misadventurous foray into the Mumbai film world: after all, almost becoming a famous antiperspirant evangelist is something I can be proud of. And along the way, I gained firsthand insights into the sometimes frustrating, sometimes exhilarating&nbsp;and always the capricious world of Indian cinema.</p>

<p>But to end this post on a slightly more positive note: I haven&rsquo;t entirely given hope. Somewhere in the bowels of the Yash Raj media archives is a 30-second clip of me speaking terrible Hindi; so perhaps one day, Amir Khan will come to his senses and FINALLY cast me as the lead in a remake of Rang de Basanti.</p>

<p>I&rsquo;ll be keeping my Indian mobile phone charged just in case.</p>

<p>[1] Incidentally, the results of this informal survey constituted a fascinating study of my colleagues&rsquo; personalities and tastes: one co-worker suggested the delightfully goofy classics &ldquo;Mr. India&rdquo; and &ldquo;Amar, Akhbar, Anthony;&rdquo; another raved about &ldquo;Mughal-e-Azam,&rdquo; which is a cinematographic masterpiece but LONG and SLOW; while a few of my younger colleagues favored modern movies with political slants and social commentary, such as &ldquo;PK&rdquo; and &ldquo;Pink.&rdquo;</p>

<p>[2] I was also interested to note that many of the canonical Bollywood tropes &ndash; scenes shot in exotic locations, &ldquo;bad boys&rdquo; wooing &ldquo;good girls,&rdquo; unwelcome engagements and wedding mishaps, a final dramatic climax unfolding on a train &ndash; can trace their origins to the wildly popular DDLJ.</p>

<p>[3] At one point in the early 2000s (so the legend goes), the Maratha Mandir Theater decided it was time to end the daily showings of DDLJ; so the lead actor, Shahrukh Khan, simply purchased the establishment to keep his signature film running. This story is apocryphal, but fun to think about.</p>

<p>[4] As much as I adore and deeply respect the craft of acting, training in this field can sometimes be accurately characterised by my favourite Fry and Laurie sketch).</p>

<p>This&nbsp;<a href="http://aif.org/life-on-a-bollywood-film-set/" rel="nofollow">article</a>&nbsp;was originally&nbsp;published on 09/ 08/ 2017 on&nbsp;<a href="http://aif.org/" rel="nofollow">American India Foundation</a></p>


'I arrived in Mumbai like legions of aspiring actors before me, and doubtless many more to come: with heady dreams of Bollywood stardom.'

I arrived in Mumbai like legions of aspiring actors before me, and doubtless many more to come: with heady dreams of Bollywood stardom. I have to admit that before moving to India, I had seen exactly one Bollywood film, and that was “Dhoom 1”, not exactly the height of cinematic achievement, I realise in retrospect, but I was hooked. I also (as mentioned in a previous post) had the dubious honour of singing “Tere Liye” from “Prince” at a Diwali Ball in graduate school. I didn’t have the faintest idea what the lyrics meant, and (having been trained in opera in my youth) I sang it like Brünnhilde. It was all very weird. When I learned that during my tenure in Mumbai, I’d be living mere blocks away from the legendary Shahrukh Khan, I believe my words were “Sharoo Who?” (Oh the heresy! The naiveté!) I’ve been an avid thespian since I was 7 or so, chiefly acting in Shakespeare plays and musicals, so Bollywood – with its flair for melodrama, fondness for spectacle, and characters’ propensities for spontaneously bursting into elaborate song and dance routines – was a logical extension of my tastes. And once I got it into my head that I would portray the ingénue in Amir Khan’s next blockbuster (Dangal 2), I set about doing my homework. I bought bootleg films in the local market and visited nearby movie stores to purchase boxed sets of Greatest Hits. I polled my coworkers for their all-time favourite Bollywood films and made a point of watching every movie they suggested [1]. A fellow Clinton fellow and Bollywood fanatic, the lovely Yasin Khan, and I teamed up to watch an Alia Bhatt flick “together” over Skype: her in Darjeeling, me in Chennai. Poor internet connections on both ends meant we had to re-sync our copies dozens of times, but we persevered. One of my seminal experiences as a temporary Mumbaikar was patronising a matinee screening of Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ) [2] at the Maratha Mandir theatre. This particular venue has been showing DDLJ, perhaps the most iconic movie in Bollywood history, every. single. day. since its debut in 1995 [3]. When Katrina and I attended a showing one weekend morning in early February, I expected to find the theatre virtually empty – for who could possibly want to watch a film that’s been running for 22 years at 11:30 am on a Sunday? To my enormous surprise, the balcony was absolutely packed to the gills with raucous moviegoers. Thus began one of the most absurd and electrifying crowd spectacles I’ve ever experienced; indeed, it felt more reminiscent of a football game than a film screening. When Kajol and SRK made their first appearances onscreen, the spectators erupted in cheers and wolf-whistles; they sang along with every song and recited large chunks of dialogue word-perfectly; at intermission they streamed out into the lobby for samosas and steaming cups of chai, chattering delightedly; and moments after the final epic train scene, when Kajol’s dad utters the now iconic lines “Ja Simran, ja, jee le apni zindagi!” (“Go Simran, go, live your life!”), the whooping and hollering crowd almost instantaneously dispersed, leaving an eerily quiet balcony littered with samosa wrappers and paper chai cups in their wake. It was an experience as bizarre as it was delightful, and it ranks among my warmest Mumbai memories. Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge celebrates 900 weeks of continuous showings at the Maratha Mandir: “The One with Heart Will Win the Bride”. (Others) × My first decisive step towards Inevitable Stardom was to enrol in Anupam Kher’s evening acting course, thinking it might be a good way to hone my technique and make contacts in the industry. Alas, I quit after the third session: the course was conducted entirely in Hindi, and my language skills weren’t nearly strong enough for me to grasp the finer aspects of the Stanislavski Method. I also didn’t particularly relish the thought of spending three hours every evening for the next month pretending to be a snowflake [4]. I set about creating half a dozen online audition profiles and cold-emailing scores of casting directors. In time, all manner of bizarre audition notices began trickling in. At one point it seemed likely that I would be the face of India’s leading deodorant brand (huzzah!), but sadly that particular career-making windfall never came to pass. There were several offers that offended my dignity: I turned down a chance to advertise razors since doing so required posing nearly nude. I was cast in a web-series as a stock western character with “loose morals” but I did not feel comfortable with the behaviors I would be required to portray, nor did I wish to perpetuate stereotypes about my race. My most persistent pursuer – who regaled me with dozens of emails and phone calls despite my repeated refusals – seemed quite desperate to find Western actresses willing to wear a revealing Mrs Claus costume at a gentleman’s club in Delhi. A few of my attempts to break into the Indian acting world came tantalisingly close to fruition. I was cast as a British publisher in an independent film and met personally with the director to review the script and discuss scheduling, but the filming dates kept getting postponed until finally, it was time for me to leave India. I was asked to make an emergency appearance at a Bandra studio to play a bit part in a Marathi serial, but the director never followed up with a specific location. I gave a screen test at Yash Raj Studios, to no avail. I was also invited to audition for the lead in a Niraj Pandey film (my big break at last??); but once again, the agent never provided audition details. Quite near the end of the fellowship, I joined the cast of a Hindi-language production of Macbeth (a ludicrously improbable confluence of so many things I adore), but ultimately work and family obligations took precedence. At around the halfway point of the fellowship, I resolved to take matters into my own hands. Mumbai guidebooks will tell you that a Westerner hoping to serve as an extra on a Bollywood film set can often get “scouted” in certain touristy areas of town. I sipped countless cold coffees at the Leopold Café on Colaba Causeway, with my hair coiffed and a neat stack of resumes resting coyly on the table beside me. I repeatedly visited a hostel where tourists can sign up for same-day gigs and was told (much to my bafflement!) that all the studios in the city were “shut for the season.” I religiously attended theatrical performances all over Mumbai – at the Prithvi Theater, St. Andrew’s Auditorium, the National Centre for the Performing Arts – in hopes of forging directorial contacts. I even tried to put up my own production of one of my favourite musicals, “The Last Five Years,” but was unable to cast a crucial role. In the end – spoiler alert, dear friends! – I never “made it” in the way I had envisioned. I guess Bollywood stardom is just one of those bucket list items I’ll have to consign to the failure pile, along with becoming a guzheng (Chinese zither) virtuoso and successfully knitting socks. Perhaps I am doomed to spend the rest of my film-watching days bitterly coveting all of Kalki Koechlin’s roles. In the end, however, I have no regrets about my misadventurous foray into the Mumbai film world: after all, almost becoming a famous antiperspirant evangelist is something I can be proud of. And along the way, I gained firsthand insights into the sometimes frustrating, sometimes exhilarating and always the capricious world of Indian cinema. But to end this post on a slightly more positive note: I haven’t entirely given hope. Somewhere in the bowels of the Yash Raj media archives is a 30-second clip of me speaking terrible Hindi; so perhaps one day, Amir Khan will come to his senses and FINALLY cast me as the lead in a remake of Rang de Basanti. I’ll be keeping my Indian mobile phone charged just in case. [1] Incidentally, the results of this informal survey constituted a fascinating study of my colleagues’ personalities and tastes: one co-worker suggested the delightfully goofy classics “Mr. India” and “Amar, Akhbar, Anthony;” another raved about “Mughal-e-Azam,” which is a cinematographic masterpiece but LONG and SLOW; while a few of my younger colleagues favored modern movies with political slants and social commentary, such as “PK” and “Pink.” [2] I was also interested to note that many of the canonical Bollywood tropes – scenes shot in exotic locations, “bad boys” wooing “good girls,” unwelcome engagements and wedding mishaps, a final dramatic climax unfolding on a train – can trace their origins to the wildly popular DDLJ. [3] At one point in the early 2000s (so the legend goes), the Maratha Mandir Theater decided it was time to end the daily showings of DDLJ; so the lead actor, Shahrukh Khan, simply purchased the establishment to keep his signature film running. This story is apocryphal, but fun to think about. [4] As much as I adore and deeply respect the craft of acting, training in this field can sometimes be accurately characterised by my favourite Fry and Laurie sketch). This article was originally published on 09/ 08/ 2017 on American India Foundation

Life on a (Bollywood) film set

dhoom

Dhoom, News on Dhoom, stories on Dhoom, articles on Dhoom, Dhoom stories at Wion, Dhoom news, Dhoom latest news