Bollywood movie filmed in Philly

 

The cast waiting between shots.

If you’re unaware, a Bollywood film is being filmed in Philadelphia. The plot of the movie, the working title of which is New York, is being kept secret, but we do know that it is an action adventure film that stars John Abraham, Katrina Kaif, and Neil Nitin Mukesh. And that its been messing with the residents of Philadelphia’s minds. 

For example, last week one of my co-workers forwarded me an e-mail informing me that that Saturday morning they would be shooting a helicopter scene at 15th and Market, and that anyone walking around from 9 a.m. to noon should be aware that the snipers weren’t real. And according to the above link, some Temple students thought the “helicopter duel” around their campus was real.

Today I came in contact with the film crew as I walked home from work. At 10th and Jackson I saw police cars and a large crowd near the grade school and so, being a South Philly girl, I walked towards the commotion to see if anyone I knew had been shot. (The last time I had been greated with such a scene, the guy who lives across the street from me was holding his wife hostage with a shotgun and the entire block was on lockdown. In typical “my life is a bad 1970s sitcom” fashion, this happened right as we needed to leave to get to my 80 year old aunt’s surprise party.)

Turns out no one was dead, and they were actually filming a scene for the movie.

What I saw of the scene: two NYPD cars are parked in the street, and a couple cops are standing around looking up at the old factory (That street is weird, by the way. If you’ve never been there, the street itself is a pretty classy area. On one side of the block is a row of nice houses with front porches. Across the street is this old factory left over from the 20s, that looks abandoned (its not) and like its going to fall down at any minute. It’s definitely a great film location). Then a really nice car (with New York plates) pulls up, and a girl and a guy, I presume two of the leads, jump out and look up, panicked. 

I managed to get a couple photos aside from the one above, and I actually tried to upload more but my computer is giving me problems and I have to get ready for VIP night at Nocturne, so if any Bollywood magazines or newspapers wants to make me an offer… (I’m mostly kidding, but hey, I’ve got college loans, its worth a shot.) 

As an added bonus for movie trivia fans: the old factory where this scene was shot is diagonally across the street (literally in rock-throwing distance) from where my dad watched them film the scene in Rocky where he walks home the little girl who curses.