Mumbai XXXposed:Actor blows the cover off city porn racket

Hotels and studio used to shoot sex films as city becomes a hotbed for India's Rs500cr porn film industry. A DNA Special

MUMBAI: An actor who was trapped into almost appearing in one such sex flick made by Joginder Arora, one-time Hindi film character actor and director, at Esel Studios, Trombay, spoke to DNA.

Indications are that the racket has been flourishing for the last two years and VCDs and DVDs of the films are being sold openly at prices ranging from Rs70 to Rs100 at hole-in-the-wall video shops at Fort and Lamington Road.

The actor, who narrated details of his brush with the shooting of a porn movie at Esel Studios, said Joginder was the man behind the production. Joginder has not denied the allegation. ''Such things happen all the time in India,'' he said.

''I am surprised how the information leaked out.''

Anwar Khan (name changed), the actor, shrugged and said, ''After my terrible experience, I learnt from other struggling actors that such things are normal. Blue films have often been shot at hotels on the Mumbai-Agra highway and at Esel Studios.''

Esel Studios officials do not deny that they may have been misled into allowing their facilities for porn shoots. Madhu Kamble, studio-in-charge, said, ''I admit we have been duped in the past. When producers hire our premises, we are not aware of the scenes they will shoot. So, blue films may have been shot without our knowledge. That has given us a bad name in the market, but we are cautious now. We have started keeping a check on the content of the films being shot at Esel.''

The modus operandi of the filmmakers is simple: hardcore sex scenes, which leave nothing to the imagination, are shot after midnight on digital video format. Although the police seem to be unaware of this, patrol cars often drive around the area and stop for checks at places where night shoots might be on.

While the men used in the films are mostly newcomers with no movie experience, there are a couple of seasoned porn heroes. The women are supplied by a wide range of 'model coordinating agents' and reportedly know what they are getting into. ''There is little or no hesitation before performing sexual acts before the camera,'' Khan said.

The market for Indian porn films - the other centres are Chennai and Kerala - is big, close to Rs500 crore a year, said Kumar Mohan, editor of the film trade magazine Complete Cinema. ''There is a craze for such films on VCD, particularly in the smaller towns, where there is little or no check on what is being screened on video screens.''

In addition, they are bought by Indian immigrants settled abroad." The most popular movie currently is Bombay Fantasy, and features couples who are supposedly from the city, he said.

Inquiries with the police revealed that some of the women who participate in these films are part of a prostitution ring run by "very smart professional middlemen".

When we called up one such "professional" on a phone number mentioned on a website, a voice at the other end said: "Where do you want the girl for the shoot? For one evening she will cost Rs80,000, payable in advance."

A senior police officer, who declined to be quoted by name, said, "Everyone knows, porn in all formats, including MMS on cell phones, has become rampant. I cannot help thinking that with the closure of dance bars, many of the girls may now be tempted into doing porn films. I do not see the porn boom ending in a hurry."

 

'It was a shocking sight'

Actor Anwar Khan, speaks about his brush with a porn film production

How did you get involved in the racket?
I was duped by Joginder. Since he has been around for 30-40 years, I didn't suspect he was into the porn racket. We're small-time actors, we go from one studio to another asking if there's any role, even a very small role. I had gone to meet Joginder and his assistants. They said they would require me for a certain role. Joginder looked me up and down and said he has big plans for me, and that I should wait for his call.

Then what happened?
One day I got a call from his office. I went and met him and he said, Kaal raat ko shooting hai... Esel studio mein aa jana." Next day he gave me a brief. The story was about a couple whose marital life is in a mess and the wife has a physical relationship outside the marriage. That scene had to be picturised. I would be making love to the woman and her husband would come and shoot us. It was just a normal Hindi film scene and I had no clue that I was being trapped.

When were you actually asked to do the hardcore stuff?
That scene went off smoothly. I was under the impression that my day's work was over. When I was about to leave, the production manager said it wasn't pack-up yet. I waited close to midnight; I saw this scene being shot in the garden with a nude girl under a waterfall. I was shocked. When I asked Joginder who was acting in it, he said I was part of this film.

She was naked?
She was completely naked. She was very beautiful.

Did you agree to do the role?
Absolutely not. I wanted to leave the studio immediately, but mujhe dhamkaya gaya. They said I couldn't leave the studio before I did this scene. Joginder was upset. He said, Main tujhe teen picture mein hero bana doonga agar tune yeh blue film ka scene kar diya to. He was very angry. He even had the gall to say, Tujhe kuch nahin karna hai, tujhe to sirf mazaa lena hain. When I questioned his motive, he told me to stop being foolish. Since I didn't agree to do any more scenes, mera pura paisa un logon ne maar diya. They didn't pay. I left the studio in a huff.

Did they call you again?
I knew one of the unitwallahs and discussed the episode with him. Sir, Esel studio mein aisi blue films regular banti hai.

Is the police unaware?
Pornographic films shot in seedy hotels and a well-known city studio have become a craze on the video and DVD circuit.

Sir, police ko sab maloom hai. When I was asked to do the waterfall scene it was around 1.30am. Just before that, at 1am, a police van had done a round of the studio. The whole racket of filming blue films starts after that.

Joginder is the biggest name in the racket. I'm told these girls are brought from Delhi. The agents patao their parents, promise the girls a great life in Mumbai, and make them work in blue films. Joginder ke aadmi sab setting karte hain. Lalach dikhake yeh ladkiyonko bulatey hain. You should see for yourself how good-looking the girls are. I was amazed how a good-looking girl could stand nude in front of 40-50 unitwallahs. It was a shocking sight. Main mard hoke sharma rahta tha.

 

'Big directors are also involved in this racket'

Joginder Arora, also known by the nickname Ranga Khush, is actor-producer-director of regular B-grade fare such as Bindiya aur Bandook and Mr and Mrs Dracula

We have information that you made blue films at Esel Studios.
That’s a completely baseless allegation. I haven’t been to Esel for the last two months. How could I make a film there?

But didn’t you shoot a film there involving a nude girl in the garden?
(Agitated) Who told you that? Just tell me, who told you that?

We’ve met an actor whom you wanted to participate in the film.
Bhai, aapko to sab kuch maloom pad gaya hai. Such things happen here all the time. We have to do a lot of things to keep the kitchen fires burning.

So you’re admitting that you did shoot blue films in Esel Studios?
I never said that.

You did...
Ok, ok, kabhi kabhi maine banaya hoga blue films Esel mein. Usme kaunsi badi baat hai.

Do you realise it’s a criminal offence?
Sir, yeh sab criminal shriminal chhodiye. Film industry mein yeh sab hota hai. If I take names, a lot of big shots will have problems surviving in this business.

Where did you get the girls from?

Sir, yeh sab model coordinators laatey hain. In Mumbai 90 per cent of all model coordinators are pimps. The girls who act in these films are supplied by them. I can give you names of such model coordinators, but please don’t spoil my name. Sirji, saari duniya tharki hai.

I’m just a small fry; big directors are also involved in the racket. They also shoot their heroines in the nude, kambhakth main phaans gaya.