From Bobby to Finding Fanny: Why Bollywood never gets bored of Goa

Bollywood’s love affair with Goa seems to be like a never-ending honeymoon. Forty two years ago, a 15-year-old Dimple Kapadia made her debut in the film Bobby, playing the daughter of a Goan fisherman. Rohit Shetty has shot the entire Golmaal series in Goa. Last week’s release, Homi Adajania’s Finding Fanny, is also set in Goa, with Kapadia playing a cranky old Goan matriarch who could easily be Bobby Branganza’s grandmother.

Director Sujoy Ghosh has a theory as to why filmmakers choose to set their films in Goa. “Filmmakers very regularly go to Goa, to write their films," he said. “So they develop an attachment to that place, which pulls them into shooting in Goa. I too will only shoot in a location where I’ve spent ample time writing.”

There are times when that doesn’t necessarily work well for the film. Ashutosh Gowariker’s Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Se, for example, was shot in Goa, and was an unmitigated disaster. Yet that hasn’t dulled Goa’s appeal as far as Gowariker is concerned. “I love Goa as a shooting destination,” he said. “As an actor, I’ve shot several films in Goa, including the late Jalal Agha’s Goonj, Kundan Shah’s Kabhi Han Kabhi Na and Saeed Mirza’s Circus. I’ve the fondest memories of the place.”

To Gowariker, Goa is much more than beaches. “It has got various types of hidden landscapes just waiting to be explored,” said the director. “When I wanted to cheat the location of Chittagong (which is part of Bangladesh) in Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Se, I chose Sawantwadi, which is at the border of Goa. If my next film demands, I’d most certainly return to Goa. It has advantages over most locations along the Konkan coast in Maharashtra, the most important being the connectivity by road, rail and air.”

The real challenge now is to find new places in Goa. “Goa with its beaches, churches and old-world charm has been a perennial haven for filmmakers,” said Ananth Mahadevan, who shot Dil Maange More in Goa. “Now if I were to shoot there, it would have be old Goa and its classic structures. Not the familiar beaches and hotels. Besides Goa’s proximity to Mumbai and Chennai, the government too has some promotional schemes now. But it is a case of milking the location. Unless one visualizes the place differently Goa would appear déjà vu.”

Sanjay Leela Bhansali shot his last film, Guzaarish, in Goa. He spent months trying to find virgin spots and it proved to be quite a challenge. “Every inch of Goa has been shot already,” recalled Bhansali. David Dhawan shot his version of Sai Paranjpye’s Chashme Buddoor in Goa and had to find his way around the problem of finding a setting that wouldn’t seem like it was borrowed from another film. “We shot in old Goa," said Dhawan. “The rest of Goa is over-exposed. We found an old Portuguese café, which we hired for the shooting.”

Even when there are obstacles, it seems the charm of Goa exerts its pull over Bollywood’s directors. For example, Rohan Sippy faced a lot of flak from the local government when he shot Dum Maaro Dum in Goa. In his film, Goa was home to drug dens and other nefarious rackets. This ruffled bureaucratic feathers but that hasn’t affected Sippy’s fondness for the location. “I loved shooting in Goa,” he said. “Great locations. Very shooting-friendly atmosphere and with the right script, it would a brilliant location to return to.” He does, however, suggest that the state government create a better infrastructure for film shooting. “If they could provide studios and equipment, Goa can become a major centre for film shooting,” said Sippy.

As far as filmmaker Kunal Deshmukh is concerned, Goa still has a lot to offer cinematically. “I don’t believe Goa has lost its charm. It depends on how you see and use Goa. If you only see the beaches and trance parties, then that’s all you’ll get,” he said.

Judging from what filmmakers who have worked in other parts of India say, it seems part of Goa’s appeal is that in comparison, it’s easier to shoot there. “Shooting in Mumbai is so damned difficult and expensive,” said Deshmukh, adding that Goa was a viable option to Mumbai. Rahul Dholakia, whose Lamhaa was shot under trying circumstances in Kashmir, thinks Goa is an easy option. “It’s inexpensive. It’s also close to Mumbai and film units feel relaxed there," said Dholakia. “I’d definitely shoot there if my film was set in Goa. But I wouldn’t shoot in Goa just for the heck of it. It’s got a very unusual flavour. Goa has to be a character in the film.”

There are a few dissenting voices though. Kabir Sadanand, who shot a film in Thailand, feels Goa has become too expensive. “Of late it has become difficult to shoot in Goa,” he said. “I preferred to have a hassle-free shooting schedule in Thailand. The local administration in Goa needs to sort out their revenue structure regarding shooting crews from Bollywood. Only then can one shoot in peace in Goa. Otherwise, Thailand or Vietnam would be better options.”