Watch iFilm’s exclusive report on ‘Salam Mumbai’, featuring director Qorban Mohammadpour, producer Javad Norouzbeigi and actor Behrouz Chahel.
Below is a transcription of the report's highlights.
iFilm: The initial idea of ‘Salam Mumbai’ was proposed by Qorban Mohammadpour and then he shared his idea with Behrouz Chahel.
Mohammadpour: I made my first film in my mother tongue. We had Pierre Dagher from Lebanon, he’s a famous Lebanese actor, a lady from Spain and Mr. Chahel, who is an Iranian-Indian.
Then I made my second film and after that I finished my third film, ‘What Men Don’t Know About Women’.
He suggested that I work in Bollywood.
I had read in a website that there is an Iranian actress who stars in Bollywood, that she’s a really good actress and is famous. Her name is Maryam Zakaria. I found her on Facebook and left her a message that I want to make a film in Bollywood and have no idea about what to do.
She told me that she’s pregnant and is going to Sweden to give birth. I’d caught her at a bad time. So she said she couldn’t do anything for me. She only said she has a friend. She gave me his phone number and said that he can help me.
She talked to him about me and told me to call him in 20 days.
That day, I had no idea who this friend was. But, by giving me his phone number, she did me a great favor. This phone number changed my path in filmmaking.
Her friend was Dr. Ali Irani. He can’t read Persian but can speak it. He grew up in India. He is a physician and all Indian superstars are his patients. Later on, I went to India and visited him and saw what a great man he is. He changed my path.
He called Shahrokh Khan and sent me to his office because Shahrokh is one of his patients. Even later when Mohammad-Reza Golzar came to India, he arranged for him to meet Shahrokh.
Shahrokh Khan even invited Mohammad-Reza to his house. He arranged for us to meet with three big companies. We went there and accomplished the rest.
iFilm: The cinema industries in Iran and India are quite different but there are also some similarities.
Norouzbeigi: It’s totally different. I mean over there, you face a huge crowd and you should get them involved. And it was really difficult for us. We are used to working with at most 50 people. To work with this huge crowd was really difficult.
Based on the social situation and the huge population of India, they have to create jobs. It was difficult.
We were almost 200 people, consisting of Iranians and Indians. Out of them, 25 were Iranian and the rest Indian.
Controlling the project and the traffic it created was really hard. Also, we had to try to move forward according to our schedule.
Chahel: Look, Bollywood, as you already know, is one of the best cinema industries in the world.
Since three years ago, when we started this project, we got involved in researching, travelling and talking to many different producers and directors.
Since one and a half years ago, when we started the pre-production and then the production phases, we talked to the best production managers as well. For example, Mr. Pahlaj Neylani, our Indian producer, is the head of the cinematic organization in India. He is the man who has to confirm each and every film that is made in India. He is an important figure. So when we had such a person working alongside our own producer, we realized that those involved in ‘Salam Mumbai’, which is the first joint project between Iran and India, have a great resume and are professionals.
But the thing which was very important and interesting to me was the things said by those who worked with us. For example, Dia Mirza, one of the lead actresses of the film, who is an Indian star, told me that is was a truly professional experience for her working with Iranians. And this shows that we have a say in this field because we used actors and actresses who had the experience of working in Hollywood and had a stunning resume.
iFilm: ‘Salam Mumbai’ was categorized as a commercial movie and that’s why the casting had standards of its own.
Mohammadpour: Look, from the very beginning I was looking for Aishwarya Rai in India. We sent her the screenplay and I visited her planning manager, but it didn’t work out due to some reasons.
The story was about a university student who was around 40 years old.
But in Iran, I knew that if I go to Bollywood, four of the lead actors and actresses will be Indian. And if they were going to ask who my lead actor was, I had to name an Iranian superstar. So I looked for someone who was fluent in English because we produced the film in English.
From the beginning, I had Mohammad-Reza Golzar in mind and he took the role because I knew he was able to speak English. He is famous in Iran and he has his own fans. And since our film was a commercial one, I chose Mohammad-Reza Golzar.
iFilm: Of course, aside from Iran and India, ‘Salam Mumbai’ will be screened in other countries as well.
Norouzbeigi: You know, it’s natural that for releasing such a film ... if we consider that a company is responsible for the release, this can only happen in India.
For Iranians and Indians who live abroad, we’ve signed contracts with the Europeans, Australia, the USA, Arab countries and a part of African countries. A lot of Indians live in these countries. All the film distributors were satisfied and it has already been screened in some countries.
iFilm: Up until now, the movie ‘The Salesman’ had record sales on the first day of screening in Iran, but now that record belongs to ‘Salam Mumbai’.
Norouzbeigi: My prediction doesn’t matter much but our film distributor predicts that the film is going to have record sales.
I hope it happens not because of us, that’s only a part of it. But it might also encourage the cinema industry of Iran to work on joint projects.
It’s not only comedies that sell well in Iran. Joint projects can be successful as well.
We can make joint projects like this film based on the cultural rules of the Islamic Republic of Iran and another country without having problems in a way for both countries to be able to release it.
AI/AG
