This holiday season, go on a tour of Bollywood

This holiday season, go on a tour of Bollywood

Operators charge about `3,500-7,000 per person daily for visits to film studios, sets, and acting schools

On his recent trip to Mumbai, Farhan Supariwala ran out of sightseeing ideas for his US-bred children. "Over the years, we had visited all tourist hotspots and were desperate for something new," says the non-resident Indian (NRI) who now lives and works in the US. The Supariwalas then stumbled upon a tour that promised a sneak peek into the Bollywood dream factory. The family spent the next few days star gazing and studio hopping. "My son attended a dance workshop, my daughter took a crash course in sari draping, and my wife watched the shooting of a masala potboiler," he says. Inspired by the Mumbai Darshan tours in which busloads of tourists are driven past residences of film stars, a couple of private tour operators in the city are exploring the untapped segment of Bollywood tourism. "Bollywood is now an international brand and has opened up newer avenues for business," says yesteryear actor Vikram Makandar whose company, Vikram Productions, offers customised tours to NRIs and foreigners. The company also arranges dinners and weddings with a Bollywood theme. "We've had NRIs and Europeans enquiring about the possibility of getting married on film sets." With the tourist season at its peak, Makandar says that his company is conducting tours every day for groups of 15 to 20 people. "We are completely booked for the next few months," says the actor who was seen in films like Julie and Swami. Industry insiders feel that the reason for the popularity of these tours is the exclusivity factor. "Since film studios are off limits to viewers, our clients sign up for a never-before look at Bollywood," says Poonam Arora, vice president of Bollywood Tourism, another Mumbai-based company catering to Hindi film buffs across the world. The tour operators have tied up with film studios, acting and dance schools, and post-production companies and charge anything between Rs3,500-7,000 per person for a day trip. "Most trips are customised according to individual preferences. Some people want to watch the shooting of a film or TV serial from start to finish. Others like shopping for Bollywood-inspired clothes and trinkets," adds Arora. To stay ahead of competitors, tour operators are relying on innovation. For instance, Bollywood Tourism had once organised a two-day programme for 70 French tourists who were given a film script and asked to act and dance. The performance was shot on video and presented to the participants on a CD. Meanwhile, the most sought-after attractions still remain film stars' homes, the dinghy alleys of Dharavi and Bollywood naach gaana. Makandar recalls a trip in which a group of NRIs patiently sat for hours in a vehicle parked across Bachchan's bungalow hoping for a glimpse of the superstar. Though Big B did not make an appearance, they excitedly called up friends to narrate the incident.