Christopher Nolan’s Tenet could be filming scenes in the financial capital city of Mumbai, India, if an exclusive report by a local Indian news outlet pans out. Pune Mirror is reporting that Nolan has chosen Mumbai to film a major chase sequence, with some of the movie’s cast expected to fly down. According to their source, Nolan scouted locations in Mumbai first during his visit in February and then another visit in March for promoting the preservation of film, which also led to an IMAX screening of Interstellar and Dunkirk.
Filming is expected to take place in South Bombay around the iconic Gateway of India, with the Taj Hotel and Colaba Market serving as additional locations. Nolan will be shooting Tenet in Mumbai in September 2019, with filming lasting for 7-8 days (about a week). Accompanying Nolan during his location scouting were his regular production designer Nathan Crowley and cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema.
Additionally, we also have the first details about Dimple Kapadia’s role in the movie, though I guess calling them details is a bit of a stretch. Kapadia will play a 60-year old woman who becomes crucial to the narrative. She read for the movie at a Sobo hotel. When it comes to a Nolan movie, even the minutest of info is good enough to spark discussions.
It’s going to be interesting speculating on the nature of the chase. The paucity of space in Colaba Market suggests the chase could be taking place on foot. Gateway of India has ample room for a vehicular chase, though logistically it’s going to be a nightmare to vacate the place and keep bystanders away. It’s also possible the chase begins from the Taj Hotel and leads into Colaba market before ultimately culminating at the Gateway, with the people being chased escaping over sea. Alternatively, there could be more scenes shot before leading into the aforementioned chase sequence.
Yet another thing to factor in would be the monsoons. September traditionally has been a month that may or may not be troubled by rains, but if it is, the crew could have a difficult shoot. September is also the month when the city will be engrossed in celebrating the much awaited Ganesh festival. Whether or not this factors into the chase sequence remains to be scene but it would surely make for an interesting fit.
This news does jibe in with reports that Nolan is planning on filming some part of Tenet in India. That said, I’d still suggest taking this with a tiny pinch of salt until some more concrete details emerge from other sources. If this news pans out though, it’s certainly going to put India back on the map as a destination for Hollywood productions. Chris Hemsworth starrer Dhaka already shot in Bangalore earlier this year and between the two movies, the country could get a much needed boost as a welcome destination for Hollywood productions. This would be a far cry from the days when Daniel Craig starrer James Bond film Skyfall was denied permission to shoot a sequence atop a local train in India.
Tenet is set for release by Warner Bros. on July 17, 2020. It features an ensemble cast including the likes of John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicky, Clemence Poesky, Dimple Kapadia, Kenneth Branagh and Michael Caine. It will be written and directed by Christopher Nolan and is set to be an action thriller set in the world of international espionage.
