Bollywood Extra Extra

Yesterday on the way to the Elephanta Island ferry I was pulled aside by a well dressed Indian gentleman and asked me if I wanted to be in a Bollywood movie. To which I replied yes.

I awoke the next morning at around 5:30 as I had to catch my train into Colaba at 6:15 to be at the meeting spot at 7. Upon arriving in Colaba at 6: I took a taxi to the Colaba Causeway McDonald's where I was met by two men asking if I was there for the movie and asked to see the business card I was given the day prior. They then escorted me to a bus parked about a block away already partially filled with other Anglo-Saxon looking people.

We waited around in the bus for another 45 minutes as people trickled in.

Once everyone had arrived they started the engine and we made our way up to the location which happened to be not but a 15 minute taxi ride from my place.

The location was a sports bar, or a set there of. Large in scale and nice in manner. We stood outside for 15 minutes at which point they fed us and gave us our costumes. They were suits and dresses and we were to be the atmosphere to make the bar feel like that of the rich and famous.

I received what turned out to be a waiters uniform and upon entering the bar was handed a tray with martini and wine glasses filled with bright assorted liquid. I was to walk around and hand them to people when "action" was called. Not knowing a soul in the room and most already having a glass this proved to be difficult.

My next task was to deliver a drink to stand next to the star/co-star (not sure which he was) as he watched his buddy line up a shot at a pool table while betting the game on $500.

Turns out they had me in a two shot with his as he reacted to his buddy's foul shot.

The entire scene for the day took place around this shot on this pool table as people reacted accordingly to the "amazing" successfulness of the seeming doomed shot.

Among the atmosphere was people representing Australia, Czech Republic, England, France, India, Japan, Spain, and of course the US.

I had to opportunity to speak with most of them at least briefly. All having varied storied of how they got there and where they were going next.

Among the notable stories were:

An Indian gentleman who worked on oil rigs for 11 years, quit and became a movie extra in India which he has been doing for the last 4 years and is his full time job.

A girl from england who had taken the train from home to India over the last 3 months traveling across every country in here path.

A woman from San Francisco who had left the states for a 6 months to travel around Asia.

A journalist from London who moved to Delhi and was making a documentary about foreigners working on Bollywood.

Another man from the US who had come to India to do some "soul searching" and realized he was having a midlife crisis and is now moving in with the Anglo extras recruiter and the bus driver.

Toward the end of the day there was a heated argument between some of the extras and the 2nd AD as it was 7:15, they were told they would be done by 7 to catch various trains, planes and automobiles. The accuracy of this 7PM wrap time was clearly overlooked by both parties. They were released 15 minutes later and escorted by train to their respective locations.

The day wrapped around 8PM at which point we were put back onto the bus and began the journey back to Colaba. Due to rush hour traffic they prior 35 minute trip took about 2 hours. I arrived back in Bandra at 11 and promptly fell asleep.








Some flags on set.