Written by new-contact on Jun 23, 2010. Posted in Production News

Phones4U builds Thai prison in Mumbai

Mobile phone provider Phones4U has filmed two new spots in India. Wrestlers was shot on location in a traditional wrestling arena - known as an Akhara - in the city of Pune in western India. For Thai Prison Guards, a two-level Thai prison set was specially built in Mumbai. Both spots show the characters being given mobile phone handsets and quickly finding that - against the odds - the phones are ideal for them.

Rob Godbold, of Epoch Films, said: “They were filmed in Mumbai and Pune in India. There are two scripts - one based in India, the other Thailand. We chose to centralise the production in India. It was easier to replicate a Thai prison in India, cast the Thai leads, arrange permits and passports to fly into India than vice versa.”

Thai Prison Guards was filmed in a deserted cotton mill in the middle of Mumbai. The production built a two-tiered prison complete with two rows of cells and walkways, while a control room set was also built for opening scenes where we first meet the prison guards.

Owing to the thriving film industry in Mumbai, the set build itself passed without incident. Getting the crew into India, however, was more of a challenge. The project worked to a tight pre-production schedule and had problems with bureaucracy in India when it came to arranging permits for crew members coming from London, Los Angeles and New York. Mr Godbold concluded: “Embrace the local working culture and leave additional time than advised to raise work permits and permissions to film.”

Click here to view the Thai Prison Guards ad.

Click here to view the Wrestlers ad.

Credits
Client: Phones4U
Agency: Adam & Eve
Production Company: Epoch Films
Executive Producer: Rob Godbold
Production Service Company: Highlight Films
Producer: Sonali Ghosh

Art Directors: Ben Priest and Ben Harris
Director: Matt Aselton