I am a master in India

Chapter 62 Casting is also a business

"I remember that you and Lianna have been in Bollywood for less than a month. Did you run into trouble so soon?"

"Ron, it's amazing there, it's beyond imagination!"

"Sound like a good thing?"

"I'm not sure," Mary shrugged, "so I thought I'd ask you."

"I have time now." Ron turned around and snapped his fingers. "Glater, give me a beer!"

After the beer arrived and the two of them clinked glasses, Mary started to talk about business.

"Ron, you should go to Bollywood and take a look. You'll be amazed! Dozens of movies are shot there at the same time every day. It's even crazier than Hollywood."

"So you and Lianna managed to get in and act in the movie?"

"It's actually very easy for foreigners to get a role in Bollywood. The crews have such a demand, and they often worry about not being able to find foreigners to play roles in their movies.

You know, playing people at a disco or a party, or British people during the British colonial period, anyway, all those kinds of roles, so I thought of you."

"Oh!" Ron's eyes lit up. "Indians love seeing foreigners in Bollywood movies. It's even better if they can beat them up or make them bend over backwards."

"That's it! Almost every movie needs a white face, you know what I mean, Ron?"

"I understand it so well!" Ron began to look at the group of chattering foreign students in front of him.

"I've inquired," Mary whispered in his ear, "for extras like this, the crew is willing to call a taxi to take them to the set and take them back after filming.

Lunch is provided during breaks, and each person is paid about 3,000 rupees per day. In addition, there is a commission calculated per person, which is paid on the same day!

"What do you think of this group of students?" Ron was calculating with his abacus.

Mary glanced back. "Perfect! Pure-blooded Englishmen, but how much are you going to pay them?"

"Reward? What reward?" Ron stood up, confused. "Hey! Look here, everyone! There's a really great and meaningful activity going on right now!"

"What?" Everyone looked over curiously.

"Is anyone interested in making a movie? Bollywood movies are the most popular genre among Indians!"

Filming? Wow! These young men and women were instantly excited.

“Can we make a movie, and how?”

"You don't have to do anything, just follow the director's instructions. Of course, if you want to have a shot or say a few lines, you may need to pay a small amount of event funds."

"That's so cool! I want to join in on this!"

"100 pounds per person, limited places, first come first served! By the way, Mary, how many people do you want?" Ron turned around and asked.

"Uh…nine, five girls and four boys."

"OK, if you're interested, come sign up with me. We're going to make a big splash in Bollywood before we leave!"

"Sir, choose me! I've studied acting!", "I can dance!", "I can do stand-up comedy!"

Seeing the students excitedly waving hundred-pound bills, Mary, who was watching the fun on the side, was completely stunned.

This profiteer is trying to double-check! 100 pounds can be exchanged for 4500 rupees, which is more than the salary offered by the crew!
And yet these young people are fighting tooth and nail for paid performances! This is crazy!
Indians are indeed born swindlers. After a few words of deception, the fat sheep that have been stripped naked will jump onto the chopping board willingly.

...

Ron arranged the students' extra-role activities on the last day of their trip to Mumbai.

We'd seen and enjoyed everything we could, leaving us with a full day to experience the Bollywood tradition. The same bus, once again, pulled the nine selected students over at once. Anand and his friends took the rest of the group to the market to shop.

Ron had inquired before coming and found out that these students only had one or two scenes, and some didn't even have any lines, so half a day was more than enough.

The distance from the Indian hotel where they lived to Bollywood in the northwest suburbs was not close, and the further north they went, the more remote the place became.

The location is further north than Mumbai Airport, and the road is hilly and covered with trees.

Fortunately, the Bollywood film base is relatively close to the Juhu Coast, which is one of the few places in Mumbai with nice beach scenery.

As the bus turned the last bend along the coast, the vast horizon and the dark, trembling sea water came into view.

There were many restaurants here, and Ron quickly found Mary, who was wearing a light white shirt with a turned-up collar and a white culottes.

"Hi, Ron." She smiled and leaned forward to kiss his face. "You came just in time."

"You're right. The guys behind me are starving. Where's Lena?"

"She's on set and can't leave, but let's put the meal on hold. You can meet up with Mina now; she'll be here soon."

"No problem, I'll just arrange for these students to have lunch first." There was a buffet restaurant nearby. Ron made a gesture, and the students cheered and entered the restaurant.

At this moment, a young woman approached them from a distance. She had a fashionable short Western-style haircut, was wearing low-waist jeans, and a tight red T-shirt. Her skin was a healthy tan, and she was holding a clipboard. She was about 25 or 26 years old.

"Hello," Ron asked as Mary introduced them to each other, "are those broadcast vans and cables outside your equipment? Are we filming outdoors today?"

“It should be,” she said in a pleasant Bombay accent, “the director slipped away somewhere with a dancer from the crew, and no one should know.

But now the whole damn crew is gossiping about it, and we have a half-hour break. But seriously, I heard it only takes about five minutes for that guy."

"Great, then shall we go to the restaurant next door to talk?" Ron tilted his head towards a high-end restaurant.

"Forget your lunch, let's get high first," Mina objected, "Do you have any weed on you?"

"I don't have that stuff with me, but I do have cigarettes." Ron always carries a pack of high-end cigarettes with him.

"That's fine, I can add some ingredients myself." Mina led them to the parking lot and got into her brand new Fiat.

While refilling her cigarette, she introduced herself as an assistant producer on that and several other films, and one of her jobs was to find actors for minor roles in the films.

She subcontracted the job to a casting agent, but the agent couldn't find anyone suitable.

"Mina talked about this at dinner last week. Her people couldn't find foreigners to play roles in the movie, and then I thought of you," Mary added.

"It's great that you can help us find white people." Mina winked at Ron warmly, "Mary should have told you about the reward. As for how much you want to pay them, it's up to you.

In fact, many foreigners are happy to appear for free, and you know what? When we want to pay them, they are very surprised. "

"How is it?" Mary's rosy eyes bloomed in the smoke.

"Of course, no problem. I have so many foreign resources at my disposal that I can't even count them."

It wasn't just a matter of pay; through Mina, Ron could also get in touch with the producers, who were wealthy men who often flew abroad and sometimes had to exchange money on the black market.

Besides, Ron knew that finding actors was very important to Mary and Lena, and for that reason alone, he was happy to help.

"Very good," Mina said, opening the car door and putting on sunglasses. "I'll take care of the young men you brought with you. I'll make sure they return to me in the same condition after the work is completed. If anything happens, just follow those cables to find me. I'm sure we'll get along well, brother."

Mina left in a hurry, and Ron and Mary went to a nearby restaurant. They wanted to wait for Lena and then have a good talk about the business.

(End of this chapter)