#simla

As published on my Substack

I have a soft spot for movies set in the cold, dank snow. Cinematically, the vast, stark, sparkling white-scape of snowy mountains leaves a distinctive, memorable imprint. Just last week I watched four films where the winter landscape served as a frosty foreground for wildly different stories to play out, and that’s not even counting the ones I watched while researching for today’s article.

The week kicked off with me finally catching Black Phone 2 in a cinema hall. The only show playing nearby was a 10:20 am show, but I got seats immediately because I’d been really looking forward to this one. It’s set in this forbidding winter camp deep in Colorado’s snow-capped wilderness. The next day, I settled in for a matinee of The Age of Innocence on Netflix. The film’s late 19th century New York snow scenes hit a different kind of chill after being stuck indoors, I was in Delhi last week and stepping outside in the 390 AQI felt hazardous.

One night I curled up with a bowl of ramen for a night-time viewing of the Korean-French film Winter in Sokcho. It didn’t inspire me as much as the first two, but the wintry landscapes and cozy food shots were screenshot worthy. Finally, I watched Netflix’s disappointing take on Frankenstein, where the nature-vs-nurture drama unfolds on the icy, shattered terrain of the Arctic Ocean.

I noticed a pattern. Against those bleached vistas the characters stand out, and not just as silhouettes but as full-fledged people. Their clothes, each deep, meaningful hue, really pops against the white.

In Hindi cinema, the mist-shrouded hills of Shimla and Darjeeling or even the Alps have always been a favourite haunt of film-makers, a stage where stories unfold, like a romantic escape in An Evening in Paris, tragic love triangle in Humraaz, thriller-ish meet-cute in Blackmail, suspense-adventure like Chailla Babu, or family melodrama like Aa Gale Lag Jaa. The blank canvas of snow-capped mountains lets almost anything shine against its pristine whiteness.

A lot of these films have song-and-dance sequences where the actors prance across snowy dunes, tumble down them with wild joy, and embrace each other as their feet sink into that thick, styrofoam-like landscape. It makes me wonder- shooting in the cold must have been brutal, especially in the ‘50s and ‘60s when equipment was heavy and amenities were scarce.

I stumbled upon a 1960 Filmfare article written by Nadira which gives a solid glimpse into the massive effort of shooting on snowy locations. Before I drop some excerpts from her candid tell-all article where she shares “her impressions of outdoor shooting in Shimla,” a quick peek into her story. Nadira, born in Baghdad, started acting when she was just ten or eleven and quickly became a legend, known for her fierce screen presence and bold choices. And, fun fact, she was one of the first Indian actresses to roll around in a Rolls-Royce.

I loved these bits from the article where Nadira gets all real about shooting in the snow in freezing temperatures,

When we went on location, we were swathed in leggings, socks, warm vests, a few sweaters, muffler, head-gear, gloves, boots and overcoats. Some time later, the sun would condescend to shine. Off would come our warm garments, and we’d breathe easy until after lunch. Then the cold winds would start blowing and we’d proceed to don our woolies all over again. You should have seen us. We looked like over-stuffed sausages…. Shooting outdoors in Simla is a pleasant chore for only one reason. Make-up does not need to be retouched. The pores are securely blocked up. There is no sweat, no grease. And nature’s No. 31 powder comes flying to the face all the time. I remember, my colleague Sheri Mohan once decided to sport rosy cheeks. He rubbed ice on his face and was horrified when it started bleeding. At one stage of our outdoor session we were at Kufri. since “kufri” means “blasphemy,” we decided that “Kufri” could rightly be termed “Lady Blasphemy.” The snow was very deep here. As it was, with those awful 15-lb boots, you had to lift your leg, balance it in the air and throw it down, just to take a step. By the time you had taken your first step you were buried to the waist in the snow. It happened to me. Some Galahad in the unit came to pull me out. I warned him to be careful. He wasn’t. Out I came. But he was in! It was as if there was a hidden see-saw underneath the snow.

Now that we’ve covered the behind-the-scenes bit, let’s dive into this dream mood board that I’ve put together which is freezing, cozy chic all at once. It’s just a bunch of screen grabs from a mixed bag of movies and magazine clippings of winter wear that made me wishful, looks I would love to wear in an alternate universe. In my current reality these looks aren’t really my style; I’m more into minimalist, abstract silhouettes in low-key shades. Still I can’t help admiring the ponchos, cable-knits, cloaks, furry collars, leopard prints and leather jacket, there is this understated flamboyance to them.

Can you spot the painted building in these photos?

One of the building is actually a painting and not a real building. Try to spot it.

One thing you can be guaranteed of in India: if there’s a hill, there’s a temple on it...

Hanuman, the Hindu monkey god, glares out over Shimla and the surrounding hills. It’s an incredibly steep mile-long walk up to Jakhoo Temple...made even more difficult if you’re a moron like me and tackle it in the midday sun. Idiot.

Urbanization anywhere should be well thought and sensitive enough towards the geographical as well as the cultural context along with the obvious requirements of us users. While settling in a context like Himalayas, we are more vulnerable and exposed to the natural elements and still most of our interventions are complicated enough to leave a massive impact on the surroundings.