FOUND: The Pool!

Inspired by Memsaab's charge to discover the location of The Room and its adjoining pool (Hotel Horizon!), I redoubled my efforts to find the location of The Pool. You know the one: it's in Rootha Na Karo (1970),

Kahani Kismat Ki (1973),


(try 1:25)
Maha Badmash (1977),


Dhan Daulat (1980)

and maybe most spectacularly disguised in Mard (1985) (and even made dog-friendly!).




Thanks to history fans At the Edge and Mumbai Paused—with extra big kisses to one of MP's friends who grew up near the location—we have tracked down The Pool to the Bharat Petroleum Colony in Chembur! (Or, as it is known in 1971's Elaan, Burmah-Shell, which the Shell website says was taken over by the government of India in 1976!)

Which raises the question: which of the locations in this crazy film are at the Radio Club and Hotel Hiltop? Only time will tell!
Here is a screen cap from Wikimapia showing that if you zoom in far enough you can see the pool itself and, if my eyes do not deceive me, a shadow of the arch-shaped diving board!


Yahoo!!!! For more pictures and songs featuring The Pool—or That Pool, even—see Suzy's post from a few years ago. And look at her excellent find of a recent photo!

We are so having a party there.

To celebrate our discoveries and encourage more, I've started a public google map called Vintage Bollywood Locations in and around Bombay to which you are all encouraged to contribute! Add locations you know, even if the location has changed since it appeared in films, and update with as much information and as many images as you have. Next up for me: my favorite oval stairs and the most blinding entryway known to humankind.



And just for fun, here's a picture of Helen, Dev Anand, and Zeenat Aman posting by the diving board (via Karen).

Comments

Vinayak Razdan said…
We can definitely see the arch in Google map. It still amazes me that these places have never been clearly credited.

So...to the Stairs now!
Anonymous said…
Hooray!!!!! Strong work! I love that it is still there, I want to make a pilgrimage!

BTW, I always thought that stairway is in the Taj hotel in Bombay. I could be wrong though. And we need to know still where that Egyptian themed nightclub is, if it wasn't a set.
Anonymous said…
You know I have a thing for "The Pool" so I'm delighted you found it! Here's another nice shot I found after you named the location: http://bit.ly/qFwnNh

I have previously called it "That Pool" http://bollywoodfoodclub.wordpress.com/2008/12/22/that-bollywood-pool/ but now I will use "The Pool" instead!

I'm also curious about the theater that has what may be hieroglyphics on the walls seen in so many of the 1970's films:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8ztuCCrSTQ

All the best!
Sita-ji
Temple said…
Excellent work Beth! Although I am half thinking that this was simply a ruse to allow you to post that pic of Vinod Khanna in budgie smugglers and you have known the location of The Pool all along :) Temple
Mette said…
Ooooh... if I ever find the time, I want to go there.
Anonymous said…
Budgie smugglers!!!!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAA!
Anonymous said…
Nice work, Beth. Those steps, I haven't seen them at the Taj. But I'd love to come across them somewhere.
nirvana demon said…
Dear Beth,
Your site is a marvellous wonderful thing: in so many ways. It is a phenomenon that appeals to aesthetes and pacifists, multiculturalists and movie afficionados. Brilliant work!! Shabaash! (Slaps thighs and makes a smacking sound with lips while being surrounded by sycophantic wah! wah!s)
Speaking of The Pool, have you seen Chris Smith's "The Pool". Another man who is soul brothers with you, I guess.
Well, that's it, OkBaiii...
2020 said…
Old Bollywood map--what a great idea.
GA said…
I grew up in that colony and lived there from 1963 to 1980. This was a residential colony for the management staff of Burmah Shell than later became BPCL after government nationalization of the refineries all over India. We had the privilege of watching many film crews shooting movies in our neighborhood!

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