New Delhi: Much to your disbelief, many big Hollywood projects have a deep Indian connection; so strong that these projects would not be what they are without it. A company in Noida makes props for some of the best known productions of the world including HBO series Game of Thrones, Harry Potter films, The Tudors, 300 and Batman Begins.
It is at the factory of RS Windlass And Sons located in Noida Special Economic Zone that Jon Snow’s cloak from GOT was made. The precincts of the factory is no less a paradise for the one who can not get over series and movies. One can find the robe Obi-Wan Kenobi wore in Star Wars and Harry Potter's Gryffindor uniform, along with the Knights Templar armour from Assassin's Creed and the cape Themistocles wore in 300.
Speaking about the beginning of the journey, Rajiv Goil, partner of the company told a leading daily, “We began as suppliers to the military, back in 1943. It was decades later that we ventured into the replica business.”
Proudly flaunting their association with world known Hollywood projects, Goil added,
“GoT is the current fad and the most popular. But we aren't limited to that. We have made stuff for The Star Wars trilogy, Harry Potter series, the two 300 films, TV shows like Rome, Sleepy Hollow, as well as for the Assassin's Creed game.”
But, the company works only on international projects, no Bollywood connections here. Revealing why they don’t, Goil said that the costumes and props have demand in West only and it is a waste of investment back home.
“There are so many fantasy shows and movies being made in India currently, but most of them do not want to pay much for props and merchandise. There was one producer a few years ago who started a film on the Buddha and he gave us a bulk order for costumes. We started work, procured the fabric, but six months down the line, he shelved the project. It was a loss of investment for us in many ways. So we stick to Hollywood productions,”
said Goil
The company also deals with replicas and one can easily find iconic costumes from classics here. However, Goil accepts that every trend fades, after a period of time, but props of Harry Potter and Game of Thrones are the best selling ones.
Goil also asserted that there is no market for these products in India, so they stick to export only. He also added that no one in India is ready to spend a huge amount of money on costumes in India, so it is profitable to export. Their sister concern in US helps RS Windlass and Sons bag big Hollywood projects.
