Bollywood action on the Port of Ayr
A Bollywood film crew docked at Ayr’s port last week bringing a thrilling high-speed car chase on the waterfront.
Cast and crew of the all action upcoming blockbuster Tehran saw the Port of Ayr transformed into a film set complete with special effects and gunfire.
The film stars Bollywood mega-star John Abraham and is currently filming at locations in Glasgow and Inverclyde.
Port Compliance Officer Bill Stewart oversaw the operation and admits the pyrotechnics took everyone by surprise and “scared the sh*t”out seagulls.
Bill, who only joined up the port in April, was tasked with welcoming the vast production.
A crew of 70 arrived over last weekend for filming on Monday.
Bill said: “They brought everything forward by a week which is just as well as I was going to be off when it was scheduled. When they all got here it was quite a scene; it was like the shows were arriving, there was a bunch of vans and white gazebos put up.
“They had catering tents for everyone. I originally thought Bollywood would be singing and dancing... it was an action film.
“They started filming most of the car scenes at first, they had the office dressed up as an immigration office.”
The enthralling scenes saw five cars race around the port, careering around Griffin Dock Road and Origin Fertilisers.
The roaring engines and screeching tyres were also accompanied by loud bangs from fake guns.
Bill admits the loud production caught everyone by surprise with cops called to the port to give the green light.
He said: “Originally they said they wouldn’t be using any pyrotechnics.
“In the morning when they turned up the location manager said I’ve got a request, he said there would be a bit of gun fire.
“I needed to contact the police to see if they were fine with it.
“It was a bit more gunfire than we expected, it scared the sh*t out of the seagulls.”
The location was chosen by producers keen for somewhere that looked onto the sea.
It’s not the first time Bollywood film crews have been in the town.
In 2019 they chose Ayr beach over the glamorous Dubai as they recruited local dancers.
And Prestwick Airport has also been a choice location for the Indian film scene.
Bill has hailed their time in the port as a success and he even managed to bag himself an invite to the premier.
He added: “It was something different to experience at work, thankfully the port was quiet. It was interesting to watch and some of the authentic food they had was amazing.”