Movie-making, Bollywood style!

I worked on a small documentary-style project with my flatmates, (as mentioned in another post), and I've been meaning since the project ended filming to get something written down about it! So here's a little something-

Two of my three flatmates are enrolled in cinema courses here in Mumbai, and made a small documentary-style video that deals with the migration to Mumbai from other states in India. Many of the migrants that the script was focused on (yes, there was a script, it was shot in the "style" of a documentary) were from a state called Bihar, in North-eastern India, where life is a bit more difficult economically/socially for its' residents. A common job that migrants take here in Mumbai is the driver of a "rickshaw" (no, not the carts pulled by human beings) but more like a 3-wheeled taxis that resemble a bumble-bee.

Shooting at various locations in and outside Mumbai, my experiences ranged from pleasant to excruciatingly uncomfortable- One of our scenes took place at a slum, and for 2 days we shot amongst what some people consider sub-human living conditions. For me, this was not the case. I received such generosity and respect from complete strangers who weren't receiving any sort of compensation. It brought a smile to my face to feel all the positive energy and curiosity from the kids who quietly stood behind me hoping to sneek a peek of what I saw through the viewfinder. It was if they were being presented with a glimpse of another world through a small screen when I stooped down with them to review and critique different takes of what I had just recorded. Their faces were with filled with such awe at what I sometimes become tired of looking at, but with them I felt lucky to have the opportunity to be there at all.

Another one of our scenes took place at night on small roadside chai vendor. What turned out to be an all-night shoot, we became the local entertainment for all the residents who lived in and around the streets we shot on. By the time our lights were up and I was ready to start shooting, what seemed like a hundred people had slowly gathered to watch us film our little movie. Mostly guys, they were excited to see our fight scene in the flesh, and were impressed with our use of fake-blood.

The generosity of the complete strangers who worked with us on the filming was astonishing to behold. During the filming of "fight-scene, we had a snag when the police showed up, and started poking around. We knew something like this might happen, so we had a bit of money set aside for baksheesh. The owner of the chai stall where we shooting stepped up to bat for us and talked to the police, and bargained a payoff of only 200 rupees (about 5 bucks). We definitely owe him a debt of gratitude for helping us out. Even though I am appalled at police corruption, I do understand the reasons for it in India.

Going home again.

After spending 7 weeks or so in Mumbai, I decided to travel south to Bengalooru, my hometown in India. I haven't seen my family in almost 2 years, and was glad to get out of Mumbai for a bit to see everyone. I took the Udyan express (fitting, naa?) thursday morning, and 25 hours later I was sitting in my uncle's home in J.P Nagar drinking a chai. Its a complete change of pace compared to the lifestyle that I had grown accustomed to in Mumbai. I am now in the world of my family; I am no longer an independant 24-year old who came from the US alone to live in Mumbai, but instead the little kid who needs everything taken care of for him. I say this hoping it doesn't sound too insulting; it does have its advantages- I never have to worry about food, money, or a place to stay. I have all the little cousins in the world who adore me because of my expertise at making goofy faces, and family that is curious to know whether or not they should "start looking for some girls for me"- (for those of you not saavy, they mean an arranged marriage) Yes, yes, life is bittersweet right now...

the magic of food...

Living in any international city has its perks, and the one that I take advantage of most often is food. Food in a city like Mumbai is only rival to places like Paris, New York, and the like. What makes Mumbai better than those places, is how cheap you can find it here! As one very enlightened friend put it when I described to her about the street cuisine, "There is nothing more enjoyable than regional authentic food that is inexpensive and easily accessible!"

The food vendors here are actually really decent. They use fresh ingredients (at least the ones I go to), and are really cheap. There is a Dosa vendor 30 seconds around the corner whom I visit almost everyday to get Masala dosa with coconut chutney & sambar, and we exchange what little words we can while eating. After the first few times going there, he knew me by face, and without saying anything, there was a plate in front of me in 2 minutes. Same goes for our chai vendor. My typical meal on the street costs me about 15 rupees (including chai), which is about 30 cents. Another cool thing about them is that they experiment and concoct all kinds of interesting little snacks using nothing but veggies and spices. There is another vendor i go to who makes sandwiches out of potatoes and other vegetables, then toasts the entire thing, tops it with ketchup and masala spices, cuts in 6 pieces, and gives you a little toothpick. Its so simple, and tastes amazing. People who are vegetarian/vegan who have trouble finding food back home would love it here.

Life in India, so far-

So, people have been emailing me, asking "What's life like in India?"

I've been in Mumbai for about 7 weeks, and things here have their ups and downs. My apartment, which I share with 3 other roommates, is well... kinda a dump. But- my roommates are all awesome people, (who are involved in film projects), and we party, A LOT. I am currently helping them work on a documentary as cinematographer/camera op. We have kind of an international type scene here at our place; which is pretty cool. My roommate Esben, is a Danish guy from Kobenhaven who is studying here for a year:



Susana is a Columbia/Chilean girl who is working here for an NGO (Non-government operation)


(this photo is actually from the going-away party we had in our apartment, when we all dressed up in anything but clothes)

and Sumit is a guy from Delhi also taking film courses here as well. (he is invaluable, as he is the only Hindi speaker in the place!).



We don't have a TV, hot water, a microwave, and since there are only 2 bedrooms, we end up sharing a pretty small place, etc. But the funny thing is that I've come to love the fact that we don't have all these things. We cook sometimes on our own, and the rest of the time we eat from the tons of street food vendors outside our building (who make the most amazing food for pennies), or go to 10 or so restaurants we have walking distance from us.

Travel so far has been a bit limited; I spent some time in north, traveled back and forth between Delhi, and Jaipur a few times. Since I had obligations and wedding functions to attend, I didn't get to see as much as we would have liked, but since I am relatively close, I may go back to see it all properly. I am planning a trip to the south to Bangalore to visit my family; after filming finishes on a documentary project I am working on with my roommates.


The documentary I am working on with my roommates is about the migration of Indians from poorer states in the northeast, to states like Maharashtra (the state that Mumbai lies within), and how they leave their families and lives to live in slums here and work as rickshaw drivers (three-wheeled scooters, like little taxis). We are making a story about one of these drivers, and the daily troubles he faces, discrimination, etc. My roommates are out right now scouting locations in the slum areas where will be shooting the drivers' home life.


My work situation in general has been a bit slow; but I expected it to be. I have met quite a few people through friends, and at parties who are involved in the business (photography, television, film, multi-media), but I haven't met anyone who has replied back after sending my resume, and links to my work online. I just have to keep looking, or take off and see all the parts of India I missed on my first tour (which there are plenty of), as well as Nepal, Sri Lanka, the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, etc. I have a few friends from back home who are studying in Delhi, that also wanted to go on a trip somewhere after their semester ends, so we may be traveling through Maharashtra (the state that Mumbai is within) to see the many caves and temples that are in the countryside.

We always have guests coming or going through the place, and a minute in our place can look something like this: