Mumbai: The City Of Dreams That Never Sleeps

Mumbai is the Los Angeles of India, if LA had 20 million more people and significantly better street food. It is the home of Bollywood, meaning you can get an Arri Alexa LF or a techno-crane within an hour. But this infrastructure comes with a catch: The Unions.

The Union Factor (FWICE)

Unlike the rest of India, Mumbai is a strict union town. The Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) runs a tight ship.

• The Reality: Strict shifts (12 hours), mandatory turnaround times, and specific crew compositions. You cannot just bring a non-union gaffer onto a Film City set; they will pull the plug. Literally.

• Our Job: We manage the logistics and ensure all local hires are card-carrying members, preventing strikes mid-take. We ensure that your foreign crew are on the correct visa and we communicate their details with the union in advance of the shoot.

The Traffic & Unit Moves

A unit move in Mumbai during the day is 'tricky'. Moving from Bandra (Western Suburb) to Colaba (South Mumbai) can take two hours or more.

• The Fix: We schedule geographically. We try not to shoot Juhu in the morning and Gateway of India in the afternoon.

Permits

You need a great Location Manager who knows the city inside out. A 'simple tracking shot' along Marine Drive involves multiple police jurisdictions, Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM), and the MFSCDC.

• Fees: Don't under budget for Locations! Mumbai is one of the most expensive cities anywhere in the world. Official fees alone per location, per day are more than London or New York.
• Bureaucracy: Mumbai is the state capital of Maharashtra who have implemented a 'Single Window' system for permit applications. They provide an 'Indicative' Rate Chart.

Guy Martin in Mumbai for the Channel 4 travel show 'Our Guy in India'

Find out more in the Case Study

Steve Waugh in Mumbai for ABC & Amazon's 'Capturing Cricket'

Find out more in our Case study