Denzil Smith on working with namesake Denzel Washington’s actor-son and filmmaker Christopher Nolan
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; September 26, 2019)

Mirror had earlier reported (September 10) that besides Dimple Kapadia, another Indian actor, Denzil Smith, is a part of Christopher Nolan’s next directorial, Tenet. The Hollywood filmmaker was in Mumbai on September 13 to shoot the India portions of the film in a five-day schedule.

Now, we have learnt that during the Mumbai schedule, the team shot with Denzil, who plays Dimple’s husband in the film, at a residential property in Breach Candy, which appears in the film as their house. “I play Dimple ji’s husband, a powerful and well-connected arms dealer, Dimple ji has a prominent place in the film and was a part of the film’s earlier schedule in Estonia,” says the 58-year-old actor, adding that he met Nolan for the first time only this month.

He goes on to add, “But his assistant directors and the costume team were in touch with me. When I met Christopher for the first time, I told him how lovely it was to meet him, and he thanked me for doing the film. It was an extraordinary experience to work with him. Our industry should learn how a film shoot is organised and successfully carried out, especially when there are many variables and a big scale involved.” On how he landed the role, Denzil, who has previously appeared in Gurinder Chadha’s Viceroy’s House, John Madden’s The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and Ritesh Batra’s The Lunchbox, informs that he was in Bangkok when he got a call from a Los Angeles based casting agent. “He asked me to send an audition tape and was later informed that I have bagged the part.”

While cast members John David Washington and Robert Pattinson were also a part of the Mumbai schedule, Denzil had scenes only with the former. “I shot for an intense scene with John, which is an important part of the narrative. John was amazed to meet me as his father’s name is also Denzel (award-winning American actor-filmmaker Denzel Washington) as he had never met another actor by the same name. He is a diligent and committed actor and most of all, he is a lovely person,” Denzil concludes.

Renuka Vyavahare (BOMBAY TIMES; September 20, 2019)

Hollywood director Christopher Nolan has been shooting his upcoming spy actionthriller Tenet in Mumbai for the last four days. Known to relentlessly pursue what he wants, the filmmaker seems to be in no mood to waste a single minute. Going by the speed at which Nolan has been shooting, it looks like the team will complete their Mumbai schedule on Friday, and will fly out on Saturday to Los Angeles, ahead of their planned stay.

The action has now shifted from the Gateway of India and Colaba Causeway to Kemps Corner. While the team previously shot in the daytime and the outdoors, the current portion is being filmed in the late hours of the day at a high-rise in South Mumbai. We hear, an apartment has been booked for the shoot, along with the terrace and an adjacent building. Lead actors, Robert Pattinson and John David Washington (son of Denzel Washington), shot for the stunt scenes. Dimple Kapadia was also present here.

While it was hard to tell if it was Robert Pattinson or his stunt double, people witnessed a scene that had two men jumping off the 20-storey building. Those present at the location pointed out that Pattinson’s blonde look (hair colour) in the film is just like Nolan’s in real life, and that makes the two look similar. Following this action sequence, we hear, the team is contemplating shooting a bigger stunt scene. Watch this space for more.

Ismat Tahseen (BOMBAY TIMES; September 18, 2019)

It was a rainy second day for the Robert Pattinson thriller Tenet, that has begun shooting in Mumbai. The film, directed by Christopher Nolan, saw the cast and crew shooting in and around the Gateway of India on Monday. Pattinson was spotted at the Royal Bombay Yacht Club while Nolan emerged from a five-star hotel in the vicinity and headed to the boats for a sequence.

And yesterday, the shooting shifted to the area behind the five-star hotel at Gateway of India. Technical vans and the film’s crew started setting up their shoot since early hours and by 11 am, a large part of the Mere Weather Road, adjacent to the hotel, was barricaded to traffic and public. Nolan himself arrived at the shoot by noon and an hour later, a few bikes were brought into the shooting location, probably to be used in an action sequence.

A while later, actress Dimple Kapadia came onto the set. She was dressed in a sari and wore her hair in a salt-and-pepper look. She was accompanied by Tenet co-actor John David Washington.

Nolan and his team are in Mumbai for a 10-day shooting schedule.

Ismat Tahseen and Prathamesh Bandekar (BOMBAY TIMES; September 17, 2019)

It was manic movie Monday for Hollywood fans in Mumbai. Hollywood’s Twilight star and the latest Batman of the series, Robert Pattinson, along with filmmaker Christopher Nolan, who are in Mumbai to shoot their film Tenet, were spotted with their cast and crew at the iconic Gateway of India. They commenced shooting for their thriller early on Monday morning at the location. While the director and his cast are staying at a plush five-star hotel right opposite the Gateway of India, the crew headed to three key locations, a stone’s throw away from the hotel. A restaurant set (named Chaand) has been erected on the sea-facing promenade for some of the shots. Bombay Times exclusively captured them in between the shots on day one of the shoot.


PATTINSON DONS A SUIT, WHILE REST OF THE CAST IS DRESSED IN DESI OUTFITS
The shoot apparently started around 4 am near the Regal circle where they shot at Mumbai’s landmark eatery, Cafe Mondegar. The shops lined along the street leading up to the café were open at the wee hours of the morning to facilitate the shoot. Says a resident of a nearby building, “The shops in that lane opened very early today. Maybe, they wanted to depict a daytime scene. We saw the cast enter the café and leave only after 7.30 am. Later in the morning, the cast was spotted at the nearby Royal Bombay Yacht Club where Pattinson had a suited look — he was seen dressed in a pale suit with a green tie and glares. The rest of the cast wore Nehru jackets, topis and some women were seen in Indian outfits.”

The next leg of the shoot took place at the Gateway of India, where the cast boarded the boat stationed there. Nolan emerged from the hotel around 2 pm and headed to the boat with his bodyguards. Actress Dimple Kapadia, who is also part of the cast, arrived in her car soon and headed to the boat. The light drizzle didn’t seem to deter the shoot and it went on as planned.

Nolan and his team arrived in Mumbai on Friday morning from Denmark. They are said to be here for a 15-day schedule.




-------------------------------------

Director kicks off Mumbai schedule of film with Robert Pattinson, Dimple Kapadia and John David Washington
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; September 17, 2019)

Mirror was the first to report (September 14) that Hollywood filmmaker Christopher Nolan arrived in Mumbai on Friday to shoot for his next directorial, Tenet, which is set in the world of international espionage. Soon after, pictures of his lead actors—John David Washington and Twilight star Robert Pattinson—arriving in the Maximum City started doing the rounds.

After three days of prep, the auteur started shooting at around 4 am on Monday at a popular cafe in Colaba with Robert dressed in a crumpled linen suit and dark sunglasses. The team would later move on to a spot near an art-deco theatre in the area. At 9 am, they landed up at a nearby club to film another sequence featuring a restaurant. “A lot of the scenes were shot on the streets. Nolan is shooting on 65 mm Imax cameras and even filmed near the Gateway of India. The makeshift hotel created outside a SoBo five-star will also be used in a day or two. Three luxury SUVs were parked in the vicinity for the actors to use for commute,” adds a source present at the location.

Later in the day, Dimple Kapadia, who plays a 60-plus lady with a crucial role in the narrative, joined the cast, after which they hopped on to a ferry for another sequence. “She was joined by John, while Robert wasn’t a part of that sequence. Some Indian junior artists dressed in traditional Rajasthani attire also accompanied the team. They returned around 6.30 pm,” adds the source.

Nolan is aiming to wrap up the film’s Mumbai schedule, which was preceded by several others, including one in Estonia, by the end of this week. “The team will shoot an important sequence, in which one of the actors is expected to jump from a skyrise, in the coming days. From Wednesday, they will be shooting mostly at night with a lot of the portions set inside a room that has been rented for the film,” the source informs.

Tenet also features Michael Caine, Kenneth Branagh, Elizabeth Debicki, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Clemence Poesy.
-------------------------------------

A fly-on-the-wall account from deep inside the sets of Christopher Nolan's film Tenet starring Dimple Kapadia outside Mumbai's iconic Cafe Mondegar in Colaba
Mohar Basu, Sonil Dedhia (MUMBAI MIRROR; September 17, 2019)

For the suburban Bollywoodwallahs, a trip to Colaba is not a particularly pleasing thought. It's even less appealing when the shoot's call time is 5.30 am. A stylist friend asked if it was an Akshay Kumar shoot since he is infamous for his early morning call time. "Even better," was the reply as we dashed off to see filmmaker Christopher Nolan open his week-long schedule of Tenet in the city.

Sitting a lane away from Regal cinema, iconic pub Café Mondegar, known as much for its vintage jukebox as for its Bifteck Alla Supremo, was cordoned off with barricades, and manned by brawny security guards. A few inquiries among the 150-odd extras present at the scene helped us learn that the film's on-ground production unit had been in discussion with the café for permissions to function out of their premises. A well-informed hanger-on told us the café's partners were clear they wouldn't mess with their weekend loyalist crowd, and in turn, the unit agreed to shoot in the wee hours of Monday.

The action started at 4.30 am when an over 80-member crew, donning fluorescent green jackets, started setting up the market area of Colaba Causeway characterised by cheek-by-jowl stalls, to make it look like another busy morning in SoBo. The heavy equipment was stationed in the adjacent lane where kebab king Bademiya operates from. The place was packed with young extras fighting their sleep, waiting for filming to begin. Prodded on how much they were being paid for the day, one of them said, "Jitna har film ka milta hai!"

It was 7 am when Nolan appeared on the set. Dressed in a crisp blue shirt, wearing a marigold garland and a teeka, the filmmaker sipped on his coffee while giving instructions to cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema and leading man John David Washington. The shot was fairly simple — Washington attends a call on his basic cellphone, dumps the box of the phone in a bin as he walks through the market place.

Two days in the city and it was evident that he had picked up a few words of Hindi as Nolan hollered, "Chaliye," marking the commencement of shoot. Well-known for being a rare filmmaker to still shoot on celluloid, he called for five takes of the scene before being satisfied. Amusingly, during one of the shots, an old lady unknowingly walked into the frame. The director graciously offered her directions before bidding her goodbye with a "Namaste".

As the hours passed by, the lane outside got incredibly busy. Passersby curiously looked on, wondering which Khan is shooting amidst such razzmatazz. A police van showed up at the venue to ensure the shoot was not disrupted. One of the crew members told us, "The producers have procured permissions from the BMC. They will be shooting with Robert Pattinson at the Gateway Of India later during the day. Over the next few days, they will also be filming at the Royal Bombay Yacht Club and the backlane leading up to CST." The unit's next stop, we were told, is Ahmedabad.

The shoot was over by 8.30 am, three hours before the said closing time. We asked the hawker selling earrings if he had been paid anything for being part of the shoot; he smiled, suggesting that he was not. We returned with a pair of big hoops and memories of what a Nolan film set is all about. If we are lucky, we might just make to the film's final cut.


Christopher Nolan and John David Washington shoot a scene outside Cafe Mondegar in the wee hours of Monday. Pic/ Suresh Karkera




Colaba Causeway comes alive at 4.30 am for the shoot

Engineering student Vikrant Patankar, the only fan who was able to meet the Hollywood filmmaker and the Twilight star at Mumbai’s international airport, shared his experience with Bombay Times
Renuka Vyavahare (BOMBAY TIMES; September 15, 2019)

Batman fans will be delighted to know that the next Dark Knight — Robert Pattinson — is currently in Mumbai to shoot his upcoming action thriller, Tenet, directed by Christopher Nolan. Known to be quite secretive about his work and travel, the director and his team arrived in Mumbai on Friday morning from Denmark for a 15-day schedule.

While a set is under construction close to a SOBO five star, we are told that the shoot is likely to begin tomorrow. Interestingly, former Batman, Christian Bale, was also in the city for a film promotion-cum-vacation in November last year.

Engineering student Vikrant Patankar, the only fan who met and clicked pictures with Nolan and his team at Mumbai’s international terminal on their arrival, shared his experience with Bombay Times. He said, “I tracked a Nolan fan forum online, which led me to a Danish website that had their flight details. I was the only one who landed at the airport, hoping to see them. I waited for an hour, but it was worth it as I not only got an autograph from Nolan, but also clicked pictures with his director of photography Hoyte van Hoytema (Oscar nominee for Dunkirk), and actors Robert Pattinson and John David Washington. Surprisingly, they took the general exit and not the VIP one at 7.40 am. It was strange that no one recognized them, and they walked out without any fuss. The team was polite and obliged for pictures. My day was made.” Vikrant’s pictures have gone viral on social media.

Bombay Times was the first to tell you about Christopher Nolan’s first ever visit to the city along with visual artiste Tacita Dean in March last year. Nolan, along with founder of the Film Heritage Foundation, Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, presented an initiative that supports the cause of film preservation and restoration during their stay here. Those familiar with Nolan’s work know that he has long been an outspoken champion of celluloid over digital, firmly committed to shooting on film. Tenet is reportedly one of Nolan’s most expensive undertakings to date and is set in the world of international espionage. Besides, John David Washington, Robert Pattinson and Elizabeth Debicki, the film also features Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Kenneth Branagh, Clémence Poésy, our very own Dimple Kapadia and Michael Caine.

The Hollywood auteur was on a recce in the city and is likely to film around the Gateway of India and Colaba market
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 30, 2019)

After directing the 2017 Academy Award-winning war drama Dunkirk, which depicted the evacuation of Allied soldiers during World War II from the beaches and harbour in the north of France, Christopher Nolan’s next, Tenet, has already sparked off much excitement among the Indian audience with the announcement that Dimple Kapadia will be playing a significant role in the spy thriller. Mirror has learnt that the auteur was on a recce in Mumbai in February and then again in April and will return back to the Maximum City towards mid September to shoot some portions of the film.

“Nolan was in Mumbai last year for an event hosted by Film Heritage Foundation’s Shivendra Singh Dungarpur on the need to promote the use, restoration and preservation of films. During his four-day stay he decided to shoot here, and in September will mostly be filming in South Bombay, around the Gateway of India, the Taj Mahal hotel and the Colaba Market. For the recce, he was accompanied by production designer Nathan Crowley and cinematographer, Hoyte Van Hoytema among other team members with Shivendra helping them scout for locations too,” informed a source.

The film features Hollywood A-listers like Michael Caine, John David Washington, Kenneth Branagh, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Clemence Poesy, along with our very own Bobby. “Dimple plays a 60-plus lady who has a crucial role in the narrative. Her readings were done at a Sobo hotel,” the source adds.

The Mumbai schedule will stretch up to seven-eight days during which a major chase sequence with be filmed. Some of the Hollywood actors are expected to fly down.

The film has been described as an “action epic” revolving around the international world of espionage. It went on the floors recently in the US and will be shot across seven countries, including Estonia, Italy and London.

The film will open in July 2020. The filmmaker seems to have a soft spot for July with four of his last five films releasing during the month, including The Dark Knight (2008), Inception (2010), The Dark Knight Rises (2012) and Dunkirk (2017).