Being the ‘city of dreams,’ thousands flock to Mumbai each year with stars in their eyes and a wish to be famous actors and actresses. Currently amongs the largest film industries in the world, Bollywood has fortified its position on an international level as a force to be reckoned with, and with diehard fans across the globe, there’s no stopping the most unlikely of people from dreaming of making it in our own film industry. 26-year-old Johan Bartoli and 25-year-old Hampus Bergqvist are prime examples of the same. Having left their homes in Stockholm, Sweden, like numerous other individuals, and made their way to Mumbai to try and make it big and Bollywood. One wonders what would bring two foreigners like Johan and Hampus all the way to India to make it big in the Indian film industry, and we got a chance to catch up these ‘2 Foreigners In Bollywood,’ as they are popularly known on social media, to get some insight into what it takes.
Already having gone viral with their hilarious videos as auto-rickshaw drivers and vegetable sellers on Facebook, the pair moved to Mumbai in September 2015 after finishing university. “It was during our time at university that we started to talk about moving out to Mumbai together, which we later ended up doing,” Johan tells us. “Sweden is a small country with only nine million people, not a lot of Bollywood movies reach all the way there. But, there is a small amount of exposure people have gotten to the industry, everyone has heard about Bollywood. But the truth is that you know very little about the industry in itself.” The first Bollywood movie they saw was a favourite of almost everyone, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, which they now say is their favourite Hindi film. “This was our first experience of Bollywood. Acting has always been a dream for both of us and after finishing our university studies, Hampus and I decided to move to Bombay in order to work as actors in the Indian film industry,” says Johan. “When you look at Bollywood as an industry from afar it seems like this big blurry mystery. We felt we had to go there [to Mumbai] ourselves and find out what it’s really all about, and so we did.”
There are not a lot of similarities between Sweden and India as countries, and the cultural shock they received upon arrival must have been tremendous, but as they tell us, they’ve loved every moment of it. “The first thing that strikes you when about Mumbai is all the people, there are so many more on the streets than compared to Sweden. Second would be all the different colours, right from the trees, streets and people to the food and buildings. It’s beautiful--chaotic, but beautiful. It all comes as a shock initially, but after a few weeks when things have melted in, then you start loving everything. This city just grows on us every day. Today, we both love this city and country from deep within our hearts, and don’t plan on leaving any time soon.”
They arrived in Mumbai with an empty slate and started from scratch. With no leads and contacts in the industry, getting into the film circuit was quite a challenge, one they were completely ready for. “In the beginning we started asking all the people we met about Bollywood, and if they knew anyone in the industry. We both love meeting new people so for our first few weeks here we went on sort of a contact-making bonanza and tried to network with as many people as we could in the industry,” they tell us. “It was a really aggressive strategy--one contact leads to another, and now nine months later we know a good amount of people, and besides working on our current projects we go to several auditions and meeting every week. And of course, enjoy the city of Mumbai during our time off from work.”
Video courtesy of Johan Bartoli and 25-year-old Hampus Bergqvist.
So far, the duo has worked on a number of notable projects with the heavyweights of Bollywood. Johan has worked alongside Esha Gupta in the upcoming film Rustom, which he said was a great experience, and Hampus did a role as a Russian hippie in Deet Patangey, as well as roles in Rangoon, the film Banjo and an advertisement for Volkswagen India. “We both auditioned for a TVC where had to propose to a girl singing tujhe dekha toh yeh jana sanam. We spent one day just learning the song with the help of our Indian roommates. Unfortunately, we didn’t get the job but as a result we both know the lyrics to the song. We always sing that song if we want to spice up any social situation,” they said jokingly.
They’re a long way from Stockholm and their parents were, as expected, a bit shocked when they first heard the news but once they realised that this is what their children really wanted to do, Johan tells us that they really were 100 percent supportive. “It we are happy then our families back home are happy too. It feels great to have support from home, otherwise this journey would be so much more difficult.” But, there has been a lot to adjust to in this sprawling city and it wasn’t always an easy ride for the duo. “Our least favourite thing about this city has to be the traffic. We love traveling in rickshaws but when it’s too much of a jam and you get stuck behind a big truck that’s constantly just pumping out fat black clouds of smoke, it gets really difficult to enjoy yourself.” Although, there is a lot more to love about the city once you get used to it. “Our favourite thing about Mumbai is that the city is so alive. Everywhere you go there are things going on in every street corner--people laughing, eating, drinking chai, rickshaws whizz past. The tempo of the city intrigues us and goes very well with our crazy and outgoing personalities. There is always something exciting happening wherever you go it seems.” It’s Dharavi in particular that they really enjoy, however, calling the experience unlike anything else. “It’s like taking all the impressions and experiences you have normally over a regular week and just smash it all into one crazy day. It’s simply amazing--if you ever feel bored or under-stimulated, go to Dharavi and it will solve all your problems.”
“When we told people we came to Mumbai for Bollywood they said things like ‘Why? Are you mad?’ and ‘Why would you leave Sweden for this? You have to colour your hair and grow a beard if you want to be in the industry!’ Sometimes people don’t take us seriously at first when we say that we live here and work in the film industry. It takes a few seconds for them to understand that we are 100 percent serious about this journey.” But out of all the possible film industries they could have tried their hand at, we asked them, why choose Bollywood? What was it that drew them in, and as Hampus tells us, Bollywood seemed the most interesting compared to any other. “We enjoy intense experiences. We wanted a city and an industry that could match our personalities. Mumbai and Bollywood felt like the right choice for us,” he said.
While Hampus’ favourite actor is Akshay Kumar, Johan cites Salman Khan as his favourite and they both expressed deep admiration for everyone’s favourite, Shah Rukh khan. “The journey he’s made is incredible--from having nothing to being the one and only king of Bollywood. Some people do not like his acting, but he is and will always be a big boss,” they say. And, what advice would these two give to other trying to hit it big in the industry? “Don’t be afraid of anything. Be out there all the time, hustling every day. Meet as many people as you can and go to as many auditions as you can. Dedication and hard work pays off in the long run. A lot of people will give you all sorts of advice on what you have to do in order to make. We always listen to their advice, but in the end, you have to listen to yourself, and find your own way to do things.”
You can follow the escapades of this dynamic duo on Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat (@Twoforeigners).
Words: Sara Hussain