From old havelis, congested lanes,to the more than 100-year-old sweet-kachori shops, Old Delhi has retained its look and that makes it an attractive shooting location
Niharika Lal (BOMBAY TIMES; July 30, 2019)

A long shot of Jama Masjid, and then the camera zooms in on a shop in Chandni Chowk. That’s how the recently released Salman Khan-starrer Bharat begins. The setting of the film, Old Delhi, has been a perennial favourite with filmmakers and not just Bharat, several Bollywood and regional movies and docu-dramas have been shot in this part of the town. As Dipesh Jain, the director of Gali Guleiyan, puts it, “In Old Delhi, time has stood still.” And this is its USP.

We spoke to line producers as well as residents of Purani Dilli on why shooting in the capital has become synonymous with shooting in Old Delhi, and what Bollywood loves the most about the popular area.


‘TERRACE FOR AERIAL SHOTS AND LANES FOR CROWD SHOTS’
Filmmakers tell us that when films have to show the background of a Delhi-based character, they usually opt to shoot in Old Delhi because of the distinct locales, which create a sense of nostalgia. From old havelis, congested lanes, to the more than 100-year-old sweet-kachori shops, the fact that Old Delhi has retained its look and feel is what makes it an attractive shooting location for filmmakers. Line producers say that apart from the iconic places such as the Jama Masjid, Red Fort and Meena Bazaar, most of the filmmakers want to shoot on terraces and lanes to capture the true essence of Old Delhi.

Last year, Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Farhan Akhtar shot for The Sky Is Pink on the terrace of a haveli here. A line producer says, “For most directors, be it Indians or foreigners, shooting on terraces seems to be mandatory because the visuals that you can capture from there are rich and they give the true feel of the city. After the song, Sasural Genda Phool from Delhi-6, a number of other films such as Ankhon Dekhi also had terrace scenes. Dilliwali feel toh Purani Dilli mein hi aati hai.”

Due to a tight schedule, when Kabir Khan couldn’t shoot a terrace scene in Old Delhi for Bajrangi Bhaijaan, it was recreated in a studio in Mumbai. A Delhi-based crew member associated with the film says, “There’s a scene in Bajrangi Bhaijaan where Salman Khan is on the terrace and Kareena Kapoor Khan comes to chat with him. That scene wasn’t shot at the location, but was later recreated in a studio in Mumbai. However, a number of other scenes, which also had Salman, were shot at a haveli in the old city.”

Other than the terraces of havelis, line producers say that there’s a hotel, Tara Palace, which is quite popular with filmmakers. From its rooftop, places such as Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib, Jama Masjid and Lal Qila can be seen, and hence, it is preferred for aerial shots.


FOR THE LOVE OF HAVELIS
According to line producers, half of the films based in Delhi are shot in Old Delhi. A line producer, who has been associated with a number of films shot in the area, says, “There are 30-40 havelis in the area, which are available for film shoots. However, the most prominent ones include Mahavir, Chiku Ki Haveli, Tipu House, Lachu Ram Ki Haveli, among others. Shooting at these havelis costs Rs 2,000 per day and it can go up to Rs 2.5 lakh per day. Only when they have a family function or their kids have exams, the owners refuse to give the havelis for shoots, else they are usually available.”

The line producer adds, “A few of the havelis are preferred by filmmakers and most of the big-budget film shoots are organised there, as in other havelis, owners impose too many restrictions.”Another Delhi-based line producer adds, “Also, what filmmakers appreciate the most is that residents of Old Delhi are quite considerate, and do not interrupt shoots.”

Rajiv Gundhi, whose haveli has featured in a number of films including Bharat, PK and Hindi Medium, says, “My haveli is huge, so when line producers contact me, depending on their requirements, we give them the rooms, terrace, aangan — whatever is needed. For Ankhon Dekhi, we gave them one portion of the haveli and they shot there for over a month.” As per their requirements, the crew members are allowed to even paint the rooms used for shooting, but only on the verbal agreement that they will repaint them before leaving.

Not just Bollywood films, regional movies are also shot in the Walled City. Javed, a line producer, says, “A number of regional projects like the Punjabi movie, Mukhtiyar Chaddha, starring Diljit Dosanjh, another Punjabi film, Sardar Saheb, starring Jackie Shroff, were shot here. And Diljit also shot for a music album in Old Delhi. A foreign film Iqbal was also shot here, but hasn’t released yet.”


‘NOT SALMAN, BUT HIS BODY DOUBLE SHOT IN OLD DELHI FOR BHARAT AND SULTAN’
Haveli owners tell us that it’s only when a star like Salman Khan is shooting that people from all over Delhi gather near the buildings to see the shoot, which creates a lot of chaos. Bajrangi Bhaijan was the last film for which Salman shot in Old Delhi. While even Sultan and Bharat feature Purani Dilli, Salman didn’t shoot in the area. A haveli owner says, “There’s a scene in Bharat where Salman is standing on the terrace, looking over the city. That terrace scene was shot at the location in Old Delhi, but it was shot with Salman’s body double. Even during Sultan, it wasn’t Salman, but his body double who shot in Old Delhi.”


‘IRRFAN WOULD FLY KITES, PRIYANKA AND FARHAN CLICKED PICTURES DURING SHOOT BREAKS’
At most of the shoot locations, when actors get breaks between shots, they go back to their vanity vans. But the lanes of Old Delhi are so narrow that they can’t accommodate vanity vans. A line producer says, “As it is not possible to get vans, we prepare a few rooms in the havelis for the actors. These rooms are as luxurious as their vans.”

The actors, line producers say, choose different ways to spend their time in between shots. For instance, during Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Salman would interact with people on the sets during breaks. Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Farhan Akhtar used to click photos on the terrace during breaks while shooting for The Sky Is Pink, while Irrfan would fly kites in his spare time. Rajiv adds, “For Hindi Medium, all the scenes of Irrfan’s home are shot at our haveli. Whenever there was a long break, Irrfan would go to the terrace, and patangbazi karte thay.”


The film’s story is set in Delhi where seven thieves attempt to rob an old palace in Delhi. Manoj Bajpayee, along with Kay Kay Menon and Aditi Sharma, shot several scenes here

Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; August 30, 2018)

Having found a place in  many film festivals across the globe since its release in October 2017, debutant director Dipesh Jain’s Gali Guleiyan attracted several accolades from cinephiles. But, few are aware about the daunting past of child-actor Om Singh, whose story is reminiscent of that he plays on screen, of a victim of physical abuse.

Talking about the casting for Manoj Bajpayee-starrer Gali Guleiyan, which chronicles a man’s obsession to rescue a child from abuse, Jain says he auditioned 2,500 boys before zeroing in on Singh. His search ended at the Salaam Baalak Trust in Delhi, where he found the boy who turned up there after running away from home owing to physical abuse. “I was shocked to learn that Om had been a victim of child violence. I had found a real-life Idris [the character Singh plays in the film],” Jain says.

Having commenced working with the child, Jain even incorporated incidents from his life into the script. “He told me that after many abusive nights, he ran away from his home and ended up at the old Delhi railway station. Not knowing what to do, he would sit at a spot and watch people pass by. So, we decided to shoot [that event] at the same spot and on the same platform.”

For the child, there were also moments that helped him understand love, when filming for the venture. “Until we began shooting, the only thing that Om knew about human touch was one that dealt with abuse. In a particular scene, it was needed that he run and hug his mother [Shahana Goswami]. But Om would always freeze. Later, I realised what was worrying him. So, we altered the scene to show Shahana kissing him on his cheek instead. He started blushing, but realised that there is more to a touch than one that leads to a slap.”

The venture also stars Ranvir Shorey.

Rinky Kumar (DNA; August 28, 2018)

Manoj Bajpayee is among the rare breed of actors who surprises us with each performance. In his career spanning over two decades, he has lent his unique touch to diverse characters and straddled commercial as well as offbeat cinema adeptly. The actor, who is having a dream run at the box office this year, with as many as four releases, is now gearing up for his forthcoming film Gali Guleiyan. Directed by debutant Dipesh Jain, the pyschological drama is about Khuddoos, an electrician living in self-imposed isolation and battling his inner demons. His life takes a turn when he starts looking for a child, who is regularly assaulted by his father and feels that he should rescue him. The movie has already been screened at various international film festivals including the 22nd Busan International Film Festival, Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles, Atlanta Film Festival, 42nd Cleveland International Film Festival and Chicago International Film Festival. In a freewheeling chat, the 49-year-old, who recently bagged the Best Actor Award at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) 2018, talks to us about playing such a layered character and why this movie is close to his heart. Excerpts…

What appealed to you about Gali Guleiyan?
It’s a story that is untold on our Indian screens. It is about a man with a complex mind, who is scared to get out of his house and face people. My character, Khuddoos, is trapped in the lanes of old Delhi and in some way trapped in his own mind where he feels comfortable with all the puzzles that he is trying to solve. His only friends are the four walls of his home and the CCTV camera monitors that he has installed there. When I read the script, I realised each and every page was a revelation. It was like peeling an onion. You don’t know what is going to unravel in the next layer. I loved this element about the script and felt I should go ahead and challenge myself.

What were the challenges that you faced while portraying such a character?
Layered and nuanced are the apt words to describe Khuddoos. You are actually trying to understand a mind that is full of darkness, complexities and the deeper you dig in, the more you understand this person. That’s why this is the most difficult role I’ve done till date. Every time, I ventured further into understanding this character, I would discover more layers to him and then explore them further. So, the work continued till the end of the shoot. On the 28th day, I finally told my director to wrap up the shoot as I couldn’t do it anymore; I thought I was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Gali Guleiyan is an engaging film. It has been screened at more than 23 International film festivals and we had a few private screenings here. The response that we have received is phenomenal. After watching it, viewers don’t know how to come out of the world that they have just seen. That is the job of the story — to take you through the character’s journey and to expose you to the world that has never been seen before.

How was the experience of working with a new director?
Dipesh’s clarity is impeccable. He knew exactly how he wanted to shoot the film. He did a lot of research and prepared for this project. At the same time, he was open to seeing how the characters are moving and the actors improvising. He was ready to capture each and every movement of the actors.

The trailer has received a good response and the movie has struck a chord with international audiences too. What’s the reason?
It’s the story of a man people have empathised with. They were completely taken in by his life’s journey, the mental trouble that he has been going through. People could relate to these things and somewhere they were shaken up by the misery in the way he has accepted all the turmoil in his life.

This has been a great year for you professionally. You have had as many as four releases till now…
I feel lucky and blessed. The year started with Aiyaary which was one of the best performances of my career, followed by Baaghi 2, which was a blockbuster. Then came Missing, a psychological thriller which is doing well on an international streaming platform. My last film, Satyameva Jayate, is a sleeper hit; viewers were whistling and clapping while listening to my dialogues and now it’s Gali Guleiyan. It has passed the test of the international audience, now we are bringing it here for Indian viewers.

Produced by Shuchi Jain of Exstant Motion Pictures, Gali Guleiyan will release in India and worldwide on September 7

The actor has quietly started filming an international project in the Capital featuring Laura Verlinden whose film was Belgium's official entry to the Oscars
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 12, 2016)


After garnering accolades for his portrayal of Professor Shrinivas Ramchandra Siras in Hansal Mehta's Aligarh and as child champ Budhia's coach in another recent biopic, Budhia Singh - Born to Run, Manoj Bajpayee's next is an international project titled In The Shadows which is currently being filmed in the Capital. It is being helmed by Los Angeles-based filmmaker Dipesh Jain. Belgian actress Laura Verlinden, star of The Brand New Testament (screened in the Directors' Fortnight section at Cannes 2015 and official Belgian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at 88th Academy Awards) is also a part of the project.

The film revolves around Manoj who plays Khuddoos, a lonely man, mentally and physically trapped in the dark alleys of old Delhi, trying desperately to break free. "There are two parallel stories, one about Khuddoos who has installed spy cameras in the alleys to snoop as that is his only connect with people, and the second about Idris (played by child actor Om) who is beaten up by his abusive father and how Khuddoos tries to help him. It's a story that I have been writing since 2009, in bits and pieces. I did the final polishing last year," informs Dipesh who will be making his feature debut with In the Shadows after three short films, Tell Me How I Should Tell You, 5 Questions, 5 Chances and 11 Weeks.

Manoj admitted that he had fallen in love with the script instantly. "I believe that as an actor it will challenge me on every level. Dipesh's perspective on old Delhi is quite refreshing," exults Manoj who has already started shooting. While 90 percent of the film is in Hindi, Laura's portions are in English. She plays an architecture professor from a university in New York. "As Khuddoos has never moved out of his alleys, he is fascinated by Laura's character but there's no romance brewing between the two. They are just friends," asserts Dipesh whose maternal grandparents used to live in old Delhi and some of his personal experiences have crept into the script.

Manoj is all praise for his pretty co-star. "I've learnt a few nuances of acting from her as our approaches are startlingly different. She is very good," beams the 47-year-old actor. The film also features Ranvir Shorey, Shahana Goswami and Neeraj Kabi.