Glamorous Times

We had been in Mumbai about thirty seconds (I'm discounting the 2 hour sleep we had in the train station. Ladies' waiting rooms - we love you) when I realised that I liked Mumbai, and about five minutes when I realised that I loved it. The like after thirty seconds was because it was so clean. After a lot of dirt, it was exciting to things like road sweepers and a scattering of public bins. I could see road signs everywhere, and greenery. Lots of greenery. The love after five minutes was because as soon as we pitched up at our hostel we were touted to go and be extras at a Bollywood Movie. Before we had time to ask to see a business card and actually check these people were genuine (this was a mild worry ten minutes later), we quickly checked in, showered (we had been on trains for two days)and we were in the back of their AC car dashing along to the 'set'. It was ace.

First we were presented with costumes. There were some corkers. Think tacky eighties, rubbish disco-wear, add a few more sequins and clashing colours and that was it. Amy did quite well, instantly being presented with a hoe-down denim number but mine were relatively normal. That is until the final costume change. Costume change sounds so glamorous. Even more glamorous when I say we had three. I even got my hair done. I probably have to mention, however, that it looked no different in the before and after shots, and I didn't feel at all glamorous as I'd made the mis-calculation of not wearing any make-up (well, I thought that we were all but film stars and these kind of things would be taken care of for us)and had to beg one of the dancers for a 'smidge of mascara'.

Anyway, it was a disco night scene with a full on Bollywood sing-a-long and dance. We essentially had to dance and stop, and dance and stop, and dance and stop for 8 hours. Brilliant. This, however, was not the exciting bit. At about 6 o'clock the 'shoot' was over and people prepared to go back home. A select few though were chosen to stay back and film a night-scene. They offered us double the pay and the enticement of a free dinner and we said 'bring forth the next costume change'. It was at this point we started asking a few questions about the film like "what's it about?" and "where's it set?". It turned out that it was set in Chicago, in winter, and the next scene would be a nightclub queue. We were in Mumbai. It was about 35 degrees. We got handed winter coats, gloves, scarves and hats. Act cold they said. Oh dear. I can't think of many times in my life when I've sweated more. A man had to come around ever take and dab our faces with a tissue to get rid of the trickling sweat. However, it at least was quite easy to act cold as we were all so desperate to get inside the club, like you do when it's freezing. Except on this occasion we wanted the air con, rather than the heater. One poor boy was forced to wear a balaclava.

It was a super fun day. The best of it being that we got free food - lunch and dinner, and we got payed. Even with the 'double pay' it still only worked out as 12 hours for 12 pounds, but it really did seem like a fortune at the time.