"This was shot near Mala Towers!" I must have heard this from Viv more than a dozen times.
He spent a few of his childhood years in Bombay and apparently there was some sort of a bridge near his building Mala Towers, where they shot many Bollywood movies and music videos.
I always go "Grrrr..." when he mentions Mala Towers. Mainly because I have no Mala Towers in my life. I grew up in too many places because of Dad's job, many of them primarily in Bihar/Jharkhand where no one shot movies and music videos. They just shot one another. (I was once in a bus that got shot at by highway robbers. A bullet grazed the driver's forehead but he just kept on driving with blood dripping down his face. What a dude. As filmi as it sounds, it's a true story.)
So yes, I have no Mala Towers in my life. The one place that I finally found stability in was Singapore when I moved here 20 years ago. Singapore is my home and my Mala Towers. So there!
And that is why I'm always very curious about any Hindi movies that are shot here. And quite a few are. Usually, they are complete disasters but it's always fun to see how they portray my city.
The 1997 movie Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya is an example. I did not actually watch the movie, but from what I read, they shot it in Singapore but tried to pass it off as Switzerland. I was SO offended. Singapore is NOT Diet Switzerland! Singapore is not Budget Switzerland. Singapore is Singapore and it's awesome on its own. Grrrr!
Anyway, the song starts with Bobby Deol (what a cutie he was when he debuted!) flipping open a magazine and the first page features Aishwarya and a horse and the words 'UNUSUAL GIFT'. And that's it. There is no product name, no logo, no context. We don't even know if she's the gift or the ghoda is the gift.
After mulling over the 'ad' for some time, I have concluded that she is a dulhan and the dulha went absconding so she decided to drop the baraat ki ghodi home.
And then starts Bobby Deol's dance. I've always been fascinated by his dancing. As I mentioned in this post, when Bobby Deol is dancing, I can never make up my mind about whether he's really good or really bad. All I know is that I can't look away.
No, seriously. Just look at him go.
Oh, look! He was taking selfies way before they even existed!
Coming up next is our famous Fountain of Wealth as the backdrop. It is the ugliest waterfall in the world, but because it's also the largest, every producer wants to feature it in his/her movie and Singaporeans can't understand why.
I've heard that waterfalls can make you wanna pee, and Bobby proves that it's true.
This makes me mad. This is Raffles Place. This is our CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT. YOU SIMPLY DO NOT DRESS UP OR/AND DANCE LIKE THAT IN OUR CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT. EVEN IF YOU'RE MISS WORLD!
Gosh, this guy really needs to pee! Why can't he find a frikkin' toilet?? This is Singapore. We have public toilets everywhere and they are so clean that the first World Toilet Summit (yes, there is such a thing) was held here.
Will you just go and pee already?? Even the merlion looks aghast.
Pray who is the choreographer of this move?! Stab-stab-pose-bum-bum-gun and Bob(by)'s your uncle!
Enjoy!
He spent a few of his childhood years in Bombay and apparently there was some sort of a bridge near his building Mala Towers, where they shot many Bollywood movies and music videos.
I always go "Grrrr..." when he mentions Mala Towers. Mainly because I have no Mala Towers in my life. I grew up in too many places because of Dad's job, many of them primarily in Bihar/Jharkhand where no one shot movies and music videos. They just shot one another. (I was once in a bus that got shot at by highway robbers. A bullet grazed the driver's forehead but he just kept on driving with blood dripping down his face. What a dude. As filmi as it sounds, it's a true story.)
So yes, I have no Mala Towers in my life. The one place that I finally found stability in was Singapore when I moved here 20 years ago. Singapore is my home and my Mala Towers. So there!
And that is why I'm always very curious about any Hindi movies that are shot here. And quite a few are. Usually, they are complete disasters but it's always fun to see how they portray my city.
The 1997 movie Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya is an example. I did not actually watch the movie, but from what I read, they shot it in Singapore but tried to pass it off as Switzerland. I was SO offended. Singapore is NOT Diet Switzerland! Singapore is not Budget Switzerland. Singapore is Singapore and it's awesome on its own. Grrrr!
Anyway, the song starts with Bobby Deol (what a cutie he was when he debuted!) flipping open a magazine and the first page features Aishwarya and a horse and the words 'UNUSUAL GIFT'. And that's it. There is no product name, no logo, no context. We don't even know if she's the gift or the ghoda is the gift.
After mulling over the 'ad' for some time, I have concluded that she is a dulhan and the dulha went absconding so she decided to drop the baraat ki ghodi home.
And then starts Bobby Deol's dance. I've always been fascinated by his dancing. As I mentioned in this post, when Bobby Deol is dancing, I can never make up my mind about whether he's really good or really bad. All I know is that I can't look away.
No, seriously. Just look at him go.
Oh, look! He was taking selfies way before they even existed!
Coming up next is our famous Fountain of Wealth as the backdrop. It is the ugliest waterfall in the world, but because it's also the largest, every producer wants to feature it in his/her movie and Singaporeans can't understand why.
I've heard that waterfalls can make you wanna pee, and Bobby proves that it's true.
This makes me mad. This is Raffles Place. This is our CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT. YOU SIMPLY DO NOT DRESS UP OR/AND DANCE LIKE THAT IN OUR CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT. EVEN IF YOU'RE MISS WORLD!
Gosh, this guy really needs to pee! Why can't he find a frikkin' toilet?? This is Singapore. We have public toilets everywhere and they are so clean that the first World Toilet Summit (yes, there is such a thing) was held here.
Will you just go and pee already?? Even the merlion looks aghast.
Pray who is the choreographer of this move?! Stab-stab-pose-bum-bum-gun and Bob(by)'s your uncle!
Enjoy!
5 comments:
The song is catchy though.... This was the time when Bobby was still hot and saleable star...
I couldnt stand this song, it's got some weird incongruous music and the singer is awful. Impressive they closed down Raffles Place for the shooting (and then did Bharatnatyam or the Aishwarya equivalent lol). The "stab stab ..." is hilarious. I want to see a movie about your bus driver now!
Charan Deep,
Yeah, he was kinda new then. I was so amazed at HOW different he was from Sunny Deol!
Chengiz,
I agree that something seems 'off' with the song.
Oh, this is not the first time they closed Raffles Place for a song. I've seen this backdrop in at least two other movies and the characters all seem to be doing random shit.
PS: Yeah the bus driver was a rockstar. Full respect. :)
Can't believe they shot the song with the Merlion backdrop and tried to pass this off as Switzerland !
Always look forward to April because I know everyday will get a post from you :)
I remember watching this movie in bits and pieces many years ago. I have been living in Singapore for the past 14 years. I can totally relate to this post. OMG! I did not know then that they passed off Singapore as Switzerland. You are right. You just do not dance in CBD the way Aishwarya did. ha ha. Bobby Deol's dance steps are out of the world.
I am reminded of Hrithik's movie, Krish. In a scene where Hrithik lands in Singapore and a thief on a motorcycle snatches his bag was so hilarious.All of us in the theatre burst out laughing as such things rarely happen in Singapore.
Aur Pyar Ho Gaya....will have to watch the movie again to see how they passed off Singapore as Switzerland.
Cheers.
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