The Bollywood Walk Audio Guided Tour, Mumbai

The

fort is called Castella de Aguada. Castella is, actually, a misspelling of

the Portuguese word Castelo, which means castle, and aguada means

fountain. Before you protest how can a sea-side castle be named a

castle of fountain, let me tell you that five hundred years ago, this

castle enclosed natural springs... the source of drinking water that was

supplied to Portuguese ships cruising up and down this coastline. For

thirsty sailors, the fort was a literally life-saving watering hole!

The fort, strategically overlooking the Mahim Bay and the Arabian Sea

beyond, also served as a watch tower for the Portuguese, who then

ruled Bombay. An armed garrison was always stationed here to keep

an eye out for enemy and pirate ships. Bandra has been a part of countless Hindi movies, both on and off the

screen, and every step of our tour takes you through a piece of movie

history. So, as you stroll along, you will soon realise that there’s so

much you hadn’t noticed before.Bollywood has changed, actors have come and gone, but the Bandra

Fort has stood strong... and its ageless appeal still inspires the

occasional film shoot, now with an added highlight to the view.

This is Mumbai’s suburban counterpart of the famous TajMahal hotel,

and it is no less iconic when it comes to modern Mumbai, especially

Bollywood. Taj Land’s End hosts several filmy events – from film trailer

launches to success parties. Many Bollywood biggies choose this place

to give interviews and conduct meetings.

This is where

lives Shah Rukh Khan... King Khan...the Baadshah of Bollywood.

Shah Rukh Khan’s story resonates perfectly with Mumbai as a city of

dreams... It is said that he first came to Bombay from Delhi, to pursue

his childhood sweetheart, Gauri, and also to become a movie star.

With not a dime in his pocket and nowhere to stay, the lad initially

slept on park benches and pavements in this city. At the end of this

story, Khan went on to marry his childhood sweetheart AND become a

legendory actor. Originally called Villa Vienna, this is the

mansion that Shahrukh bought in the year 2001 for 13.3 crore rupees,

and where he lives till now with his family. He renamed it Mannat,

which means a vow or a prayer.

At the Bandstand Promenade, you can stand for a few seconds and

take in the vast sweep of the Arabian Sea. From Wake Up Sid, to Life In

A Metro, to JaaneTuYaJaane Na and Once Upon A Time In Mumbai,

the Bandstand promenade is a recurrent character in Hindi cinema,

with massive waves crashing on the rocks. If you are here during the

monsoon, especially during the high-tide, you can experience this little

drama first hand.

You will walk down the promenade. Look out on your right

for two cafes ... Cafe Coffee Day and Barista. Both of these were once

Salman Khan’s favourite spots for his date nights with actor Katrina

Kaif during the early days of their romance. You may still catch a

glimpse of the superstar who now occasionally comes here for a hot

cuppa. Wonder what’s Salman's favourite brew?

You are looking at the

house of perhaps the most enigmatic diva of Bollywood—the reclusive

Rekha. Apparently, no one is allowed inside the bungalow, where the

lady lives with her secretary and her pet cats and dogs.

Before we reach to Mudd Spa we will visit Graffiti. You will see a

large, expansive mural of Amitabh Bachchan’s Vijay from Deewar.

Note how, while he wears the humble uniform of a dock worker, he’s

sitting with his feet up with an unmistakable swagger and a look of

defiance in his eyes. This is Salim-Javed’s great contribution to Indian

cinema. You will see a striking painting on the wall.

the actor is Rajesh Khanna. The film, of course, is Andaz.

At Mudd Spa it is here that the enigmatic Rekha does her media

interviews. It is said that the actress does not entertain journalists at

her home, like many of the other stars do.

Before we reach to Galaxy we will visit Sahil Bungalow. A beautiful white bungalow will come into

view. It is elegant and understated, and almost entirely anonymous

despite being so prominent and eye-catching. Exactly how you can

describe its famous resident. This bungalow, called Sahil, is the house

of Waheeda Rehman, Bollywood’s graceful diva.

No Bollywood fan needs to be told that this is the building where

Salman Khan lives. Believe it or not, this superstar lives in an

unremarkable, one-bedroom apartment on the first floor just above D-

Mart that you will see facing the road. His parents live in an apartment

on the second floor. Well, Salman has been living here since the early days of his career.

The very sentimental and equally superstitious superstar believes that

the house has a great vibe, and so he has stuck to this little place.

Till 1954, Mumbai’s big studios were located far away. Filmistan was in Goregaon, and Bombay Talkies in Malad. Then, Mehboob Khan

constructed his studio in Bandra, which was not too far from where

the filmy crowd lived... in Southern and Central Bombay. It was here

that Mehboob Khan shot his most critically acclaimedand popular film,

Mother India, in 1957.Mother India was the first of the only three

Indian films that have been officially nominated in the Best Foreign

Film category at the Oscars.

Before we reach to Mount Mary Basilica we will visit Mount Mary steps, Bimal Roy’s house and Balmoral Hall.

The Mount Mary

Basilica, whose miraculous powers are said to have changed the

fortunes of many a Bollywood star.

This church is also the focal point of the Bandra Feast and Bandra Fair

celebrated in September every year. During the feast, wax figures of

Mother Mary and an assortment of candles shaped as various parts of

the body are sold at kiosks outside the church. The sick and the

suffering choose a candle or wax figure that corresponds to their

ailment and light it in church, in the hope that Mother Mary will listen

to their pleas. During the corresponding Bandra Fair, this road and the

entire locality are decorated with buntings and streamers... and

hundreds of pop-up stalls selling religious articles, roasted gram,

snacks and sweets. The fair is a great place for kids and youngsters,

who can’t get enough of the Ferris wheels and other exciting rides...

not to mention the food and clothing stalls that spring up literally

everywhere.

The Mount Mary’s basilica that we see today is the fourth version of

the shrine and is just over a hundred and ten years old. The basilica

has featured in quite a few movies.

side. This huge

building complex is home to one of Bollywood's most popular and

successful filmmakers, SubhashGhai. Can you name Ghai’s memorable

blockbusters? Kaalicharan, Karz, Karma, Saudagar, Ram Lakhan,

KhalNayak and Pardes... go on! It’s remarkable that these films were

made across a period of over 30 years, and yet they captured the

imagination of their specific generations.