Chapter 147 Preparing for a Movie
“You want us to film in your hometown, Uttar Pradesh?”
"Uttar Pradesh is the most populous state in India, with a strong religious consciousness and a rich history of outstanding people."
After taking a shower, Ron is now in sage time, with a sharp mind and clear thoughts.
Uttar Pradesh is remote and backward enough, making it an excellent market for religious films.
There is no need to worry about film censorship or anything like that, as that is his hometown and his base camp.
"It's far away from Mumbai, and it is said that the countryside in India is very dangerous." Lena said worriedly.
"Dear, of course I won't leave you there alone. I'll go with you." Ron patted her shoulder and comforted her.
"Are you going to Uttar Pradesh too? Is Mumbai okay?" Mary knew that he had always cared about Sur Electric Appliances.
"The monsoon is coming, and business in Mumbai will hit a low point. I plan to visit Uttar Pradesh and, if it's suitable, I'll build a branch of the Sur Electric Appliances factory there."
Mumbai's rainy season lasts for three to four months, which affects both travel companies and water air conditioner sales.
He could take advantage of this time to go back home, work in the factory, shoot a movie, and visit relatives, killing three birds with one stone.
"That's a good idea." Mary nodded in agreement.
"Great, I love traveling!" Lena cheered.
"I plan to leave in late June. You need to hurry up and prepare for the film during this time."
"Oh, speaking of this." Mary turned over and took the photo album on the bedside table, "I have to choose my male and female protagonists."
"Has anyone chosen yet?" Ron asked.
"I'm leaning towards Urmila Matonkar for the female lead. We've met a few times in Bollywood and had a good chat."
Ron looked at the photo and didn't recognize her, but she looked very beautiful.
"He looks very young. Judging from his skin color, he should be a native of Maharashtra and of a high caste."
"She is only 19 years old and is a child star. Her father is a teacher and the whole family lives in Mumbai." Mary introduced enthusiastically.
"That sounds like a good offer, but will she be willing to star in our film? Don't forget, it's a religious film, and it also has some adult elements."
"She had just appeared in a thriller, but it was just a supporting role. In our film, she is the lead, and we can use a body double for those sensitive shots. Most importantly, she is a Hindu."
"Wow, it seems you've thought about this a long time ago." Ron guessed that she must have been planning it for a long time.
"I'm not sure about the male lead yet." Mary flipped through the photo album she got from old Lal in distress.
"Don't be too anxious. After all, we haven't even finalized the script yet. The character is there to serve the script."
"Didn't you say you had an appointment with a few screenwriters?" Lena suggested, "Maybe it's time to meet them."
Ron and Mary looked at each other and nodded, "That's right."
Vikram is a freelance writer of average fame. The several screenwriters he introduced to him are less famous than him and are all unknown.
The most experienced one wrote a horror film script, which was filmed but didn't make much of a splash at the box office.
The rest are not so much screenwriters as they are just one of the many hard workers in Bollywood.
The agency jointly opened by Ron and Mary is located in Zhuhu District. They rented a courtyard with a gate and a two-story building.
They met with the screenwriters here, and to be honest, none of them were very satisfied. But one screenwriter begged Ron to give him a chance to perform his script on the spot.
His name is Ravi, he is from Punjab and dreams of becoming a Bollywood screenwriter.
Ron agreed to his request with a nonchalant attitude.
Ravi threw the script aside and began to build his own emotions. He knew his story well.
So they laugh out loud or cry when it is necessary to express their emotions, and punch, kick, jump and move in the martial arts scenes.
"Kana was running, and he fell down and rolled on the ground. He was caught by someone."
Ravi ran while shouting in front of Ron and the others, then fell straight down, rolled over again, and then lay limp and motionless.
Ron couldn't help laughing when watching this scene. Bollywood screenwriters are really bold and they often have great enthusiasm for their stories.
Mary and Lena didn't laugh; they admired Ravi's sincerity towards the film.
"Is your story about the myth of the Darwin Mother?" asked Mary.
"Yes, ma'am, this is a story about the appearance of the Divine Mother and her victory over evil!"
Ravi vividly describes how the rural bride, with the help of the incarnation of Durga, appeared, defeated the bad guys, overcame numerous obstacles, and finally lived happily with her husband.
Durga is a major Hindu goddess. She is considered one of the two fierce incarnations of Parvati, the wife of Shiva. She is a martial goddess and is worshipped as a demon-slayer.
Legend has it that she has nine incarnations, one of whom is a vegetarian all year round. This is where the vegetarian tradition of Hindus comes from.
When the earth was suffering from a long drought, this incarnation of Durga came to the world. Her tears moistened the dry land, irrigated the vegetables and crops, and saved people from suffering from famine.
She has a considerable number of followers among Hindus and is one of the protagonists in mythology.
Ravi’s choice of her as the subject of his film was actually a good one, as even many herders believe in Durga.
After hearing the story, Mary and Lena were very interested, which perfectly matched their initial expectations.
Movies with female themes are easier to control, but the male protagonists are much more powerful, and those Bollywood male actors may not necessarily listen to their commands.
"You can keep the script. We'll discuss it with the director and then notify you." Mary made the decision.
"Sir, Madam, it's my honor!" Ravi was so happy that he felt like he was dreaming.
He got his dream job and became one of the big filmmakers in Bollywood.
Sure enough, Durga appeared to him and his prayer was answered.
In Bollywood, this kind of answer usually means that your script has been selected and it is only a matter of time before filming starts.
After Ravi left happily, Ron turned to ask Mary.
"Do you like this script?"
"Of course, this story is cool, I want to be the producer myself." Mary is very committed to this business.
"It would be better to find a local producer who can act as a religious advisor to prevent us from violating taboos during filming."
"That's right. And the director, let him see the script too."
Ron has nothing to do recently. The Sur Electrical Appliance Factory is back on track, but the tourism business hasn't improved much, so Nia just has to watch over it.
Luca also took Anand and Rajiv to Brazil. This time they shipped a large shipload of goods, which was a big deal.
Business in Mumbai was uneventful, so he devoted himself to the preparations for the film.
He is not playing around with this Bollywood venture. If he does it right, he will make a lot of money in the future.
There is no hope for India's industrial conditions, and it is hard to say how far his Sur Electric Appliances can go.
Technology and India are even more isolated. Even if there are top talents, their final destination is to immigrate to the United States.
Traditional industries such as petrochemicals, steel and transportation are controlled by a few major families, making it difficult for outsiders to get a piece of the pie.
As a latecomer, Ron could only find a solution from other places.
The 1990s was a golden period of development for most countries in the world, and many booming emerging industries emerged.
The entertainment industry is one of them, with a low threshold, a wide audience, and quick money making.
After slightly adjusting his work focus, Ron and Mary and the others immediately went to meet with Shiv Kumar.
Shiv Kumar is a Bihari man with a deep religious bent. He swore off alcohol and meat, but he "degenerated" into making several adult films, which were all box office hits.
Being a Bihari, it is not easy to make it in Bollywood.
If there is one group among the tens of millions of people in Mumbai that is most despised, it must be the Biharis.
"Biharis are all thieves." This is a catchphrase known throughout India.
They are synonymous with rural workers, poor boys and thieves.
Ron had heard people around him argue that if Mumbai could drive out all the Bihari immigrants, it would surely become as prosperous as the island nation of Singapore.
The Biharis brazenly came to Bombay to survive, their notoriety following them like the mark of Cain wherever they went.
Mumbai and Bihar are two extremes of modern India, the former representing blessing and the latter disaster.
Azharuddin, the captain of the Indian national cricket team, said the same thing after his cricket cap was stolen after playing a match in Bihar: "Biharis are all thieves."
Under such prejudice, one can imagine what happened to Shiv Kumar in Bollywood.
He couldn't get any good directing jobs and could only make low-budget films.
“Most Biharis are illiterate and our literacy rate is less than 20 percent, which is 20 percent lower than the average literacy rate of all Indian states.
An illiterate young man from a Bihari village went to the city to work. He was an honest man, but he couldn't find a job, so he had to wander around.
If someone is willing to pity him and give him a bite to eat, this person is a great benefactor to him.
But there is no free lunch in the world, and you must repay the favors of others.
If this person is a bad person with impure motives, such as a smuggler, he will inevitably lead you down the path of crime.
You accept favors but refuse to return them, and even run away from the den of thieves, so naturally the bad guys will cry thief. That's how the Biharis got their bad name!"
As soon as they met and drank two beers, Shiv Kumar began to complain about Indian prejudice against Biharis.
He was a high-caste Kshatriya, yet he was like this, not to mention the Shudras and Dalits.
"Director Lal admires you very much." Ron comforted him.
"He's a good man, and you're a good man too, Dr. Soul." Schiff put down his glass swiftly. "Is this an adult film? Where's the script?"
Mary handed him the script she had prepared earlier, and she asked Ravi to polish it again in the past two days.
"Religious film! I like this!" Schiff was a little surprised. In his mind, low-cost films were also divided into different levels.
Adult films are the worst, horror films are in the middle, and religious films are the best.
"Well we wanted to add a little more adult flair," Ron explained.
"Of course, I would do the same even if you didn't tell me." Schiff couldn't put the script down.
"We have chosen the female lead. Do you have any recommendations for the male lead?" Mary asked.
"I don't have it, but I know someone who has it." Shiv immediately took them to visit a Bollywood know-it-all.
(End of this chapter)
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