Work and Travel: Bollywood

How can you work and travel at the same time? Is it possible to travel the world without a big budget? With only €8 per day the 30-year-old Croat Tomislav Perko traveled for years to more then forty countries. He proves it is possible to wander the globe without having a huge bank account. At the end of April he tells his story on how he did this, in Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Eindhoven. His ‘colleges’ were sold out in no time. Eight euro per day is a true challenge. But with an open mind to new adventures and no hesitation to step out of your comfort zone, you might get yourself in some interesting, unexpected places or jobs to make some extra travel budget. For those who see it the world around you is an endless invitation.

It’s all about connections
After a thorough search on expat forums we occasionally find some nice jobs! I find out that during our stay in Colombo there are recordings for a Bollywood film and they are looking for extras. The name of the movie is Solar Eclipse: Depth of Darkness and appears beginning 2017 in the cinema. Research shows that Karim Traïda (the brother of Hakim from the Dutch Sesame Street) is the director and there play multiple A and B list stars in the film. Bollywood turns out to be Hollywood, nice touch.

At 8:00 in the morning we arrive at the Stein Studios in Mount Lavinia. We are immediately directed to the make-up. Ten feminine Sri Lankan men are busy to give the hundred movie extras a slick make over. When I look in the mirror and barely recognize myself I am good to go. I am escorted to the dressing rooms to find a sexy evening gown. The scenes that are shot today take place during a posh Christmas dinner at the Indian Embassy in 1950. The dress code is state ball. Sharply dressed and very curious I step for the first time on the set. The Christmas gala takes place in an elegant palace. But the shoot is in a spacious studio with bright green walls. The palace is afterwards mounted in. The studio is filled with neatly covered round tables at which the extras take place. When the director calls for action everyone laughs and cheers their lemonade filled wine glazes until the cut. I sit at a table with a journalist from Colombo, a blogger from London, a model from Congo, a PR lady from Brazil and an Italian hotel owner. Almost all the extras have their own companies or are digital nomads like us. The recordings almost feel more like a network reception and indeed lead us to our next job.

Work and Travel
After a delicious Indian lunch buffet, the afternoon is reserved for the party shots. A group of professional Indian dancers, in colorful dresses and high heels dance a sharp Bollywood choreography. The extra’s dance exuberant in a circle around the dance floor. The final hour, the ‘real’ actors arrive onto the set. Vinnie Jones (Snatch) takes place at the table next to us. It is a privilege to see such a great actor perform up close. At 22:00 o’clock in the evening we are finished partying and exhausted but super happy with our extra travel budget.