Metro Movie

While India Gate, Qutub Minar and Raisina Hill with the Parliament looming large in the background have always been Delhi’s clichéd identity, it’s now the Delhi Metro that’s catching the fancy of Bollywood filmmakers. Think Amitabh and Abhishek in Paa, Saif and Deepika in Love Aaj Kal and Sonam Kapoor in Dilli 6, for a few recent reminders.
In 2008-09, six Bollywood movies (Bewafaa, Black and White, Dilli 6, Dev D, Love Aaj Kal and Paa), several ad films and a teleserial were shot in the Metro.On an average, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) receives 6-10 proposals a year for commercial cinema. Line producer of Paa, Sunil Manchanda, said that shooting in the Metro was a smooth affair. “The security they provided was very good. It was critical for us to have good security because we didn’t want to disclose Mr Bachchan’s look. We shot on a Sunday and they were also discreet about it.” Dev D director Anurag Kashyap, who shot some sequences in the Metro, said, “I wanted to shoot in the Metro because it’s now part of everyday Delhi life. We had no problems getting permission. It was easier than getting permission elsewhere for shooting in trains.”
DMRC spokesman Anuj Dayal told DT, “The whole paradigm of Delhi’s image is changing. People have started associating the Metro with the city. In most sequences, you’ll probably see the camera panning from a historical monument to the Metro.”
The current applicant waiting for permission is Kunal Kohli, who wants to shoot for his upcoming flick, Break Ke Baad, in the Metro, informs a source. Sridevi Productions too sought permission earlier this year. But permission is hard to come by, says Dayal, adding, “We have become very stringent because of security concerns. Also, we don’t want to lose our brand image by allowing all and sundry to shoot here. We ask for the script to see if the scenes in the metro add any value to the movie.”
Producers have to cough up a fat fee for filming. The cost is Rs 1,00,000 per hour, plus Rs 5,00,000 as bank guarantee, or it’s decided on a case to case basis. “Filming is permitted during lean hours, holidays or Sundays. The convenience of passengers is never compromised to accommodate filming, said Dayal.