Bollywood Tour

Mumbai is also home to one of the largest film industry in the world- Bollywood. Even bigger than Hollywood in terms of the number of films produced per year i.e. 900 movies per year (and no we haven't included the regional movies in this category), the Indian Film industry is the probably the only one in the world to have been given the designated status of an “industry”.

The Indian Film Industry has come a long way since 1896 when soundless movies first made its advent into India with the Lumière Brothers. Three years later, Harishchandra Bhatvadekar made and exhibited two short films. However, it was "Raja Harishchandra" made in 1913 by the legendary Dadasaheb Dhundiraj Govind Phalke, considered the doyen of Indian cinema that heralded the birth of the Indian film industry. By 1920, the Indian movie industry was fairly well established producing an average of 27 films every year.

By the 1950’s, films moved from black-and-white to color and romantic movies became the staple fare only to give way to gritty, violent, films about gangsters and bandits in the 1970s and 1980s, to family-centric romantic musicals in 1990’s. However it would be wrong to say that all Bollywood movies are about song, dance, violence, and melodrama. India also has a serious parallel cinema, which unfortunately has never quite wooed the box office, though the trend is now changing. Made for the country's cognoscenti, these "art films” have regularly won awards at Cannes and other major international film festivals.

Book This Tour

Most commercial Indian movies often termed as ‘masala movies’ last for at least three hours and are made to appeal to all segments of the audience albeit a narrow audience. Since most Indian audience prefers a good entertainer hence one finds in an Indian movie a ‘khichdi’ (mixture) of songs, dances, love triangles, comedy, melodrama, violence all rolled into one.

This trend however is now changing thanks to the onslaught of Hollywood flicks, cable television and the coming of a new breed of producers, directors and storytellers who are not afraid to experiment with new and bold themes. And the results are there to see. Movies like Lagaan, Dil Chahta Hai, Black, Rang De Basanti, Munnabhai MBBS, and Parineeta etc with their originality and provided a bold new vision, the likes of which audiences rarely get to see. These movies have not only broke box office records both in India and abroad (most Indian movies like Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Monsoon Wedding etc have figured in UK and USA Top Ten) but they have also received international recognition. Lagaan in particular became the third film from India to be nominated in the Best Foreign Language Film category.

Today, Bollywood has become a strong part of popular culture cutting across the numerous ethnicities and lifestyles. They are of not just popular in India but also in the rest of the Indian subcontinent, especially in Pakistan where Indian movies are discreetly watched since they are banned by the Pakistan Government. Indian movies are also a big hit in the Middle East, parts of Africa, parts of Southeast Asia, and even in the United States and Britain where a large amount of South Asian Diaspora exist.

Bollywood Tour: - A daylong package that is especially created for the visitors, Bollywood Tourism is designed to provide you with an insight into the working of the Mumbai Film and Television Industry.

Book This Tour

1st Session: Visit a specially created movie studio that will to introduce you to the world of Indian cinema. Immerse yourself in an interactive and participative session with actors, directors and technicians from Bollywood who will not only enact scenes from movies but will also answer all your queries on the technical aspects of filmmaking, stunts and yes on the songs and dances too.

Intermission: Enjoy a sumptuous Maharashtrian Lunch with the unit.

2nd Session: Get a feel of the Indian movie and the television industry through a behind the scenes experience. Get an inside look at the sets and what goes into the making of a movie or a serial. And who knows if you are lucky you may even a chance to shake a leg in it.