I am a master in India

Chapter 418 Times Have Changed
“The International School of Mumbai?” Ron asked.

"Yes, my brother's granddaughter is just six years old, and we want to find a suitable school for her."

“Oh, I understand.” Ron nodded.

The Mumbai International School is located in the Bandera district, not far from Bachchan's villa.

Standing on the outside balcony, you can even see the school's brand-new red roof.

It is very beautiful and has already become famous in Mumbai.

When Ron founded the school, he positioned it as a top-tier private school, the kind that money couldn't guarantee admission.

All-English instruction, foreign teachers, international curriculum, luxurious facilities, and regular exchange programs abroad.
These things are highly sought after by all Mumbai families, especially the last one.

The Mumbai International School organizes an annual study tour to Europe and can recommend outstanding graduates to some universities in the UK and Germany.

Those were spots for studying in Europe, and although there were only about ten, they were still fiercely contested by wealthy people in Mumbai.

Of course, they can spend some money to send their children to some low-ranking foreign university to "gild" their resume; it's not difficult for them.

The difficulty lies in gaining admission to prestigious schools, and Mumbai International School offers this opportunity.

When Ron first started recruiting students last year, in order to build his reputation, he directly hired college counseling teams from Jianqiao and Stanford.

Then, by leveraging the relationship between Smith and Leon, this talent transfer mechanism was established.

The results have been excellent, especially after the first batch of study abroad slots were secured this year.

He had anticipated that the Mumbai International School would be well-received, but he never expected that Bachchan would personally approach him about it.

"Is it complicated to get your child enrolled in that school?" he asked curiously.

"It's like climbing Mount Everest with your bare hands, do you think it's difficult or not?" Baqiang spread his hands.

Mumbai has not built any new schools for many years, and with the population growing rapidly, enrollment places are becoming increasingly scarce.

In this outrageous community, children have to queue up to register for school as soon as they are born.

The International School of Mumbai is one of only two elite schools that offer a continuous education from primary to high school; the other is the Cathedral.

Its full name is "Cathedral and John Connon School", and it is listed among the best full-time schools in Asia.

Once you get into Mumbai International School, there's a very high probability that you'll go straight to high school and then study abroad.

In order to secure a place in the school, many powerful and influential people would approach the school's teachers, principal, or board members.

They actively made phone calls, pulled strings, and tried to persuade the school authorities, using a mix of coaxing and deception, that they were first-rate law-abiding citizens.

Some people even go so far as to get a recommendation letter from the kindergarten, and then repeatedly ask for favors and make repeated requests in order to solve the enrollment problem.

Ron never got involved in these matters, and you couldn't get through to him on the phone.

Those who can actually contact him are of high enough status and can secure their own admissions.

This is the first time someone like Ba Qiang has made such a direct and earnest request.

“No problem, I’ll call the school.” Ron readily agreed.

"Thank you! My brother has been working on this for a long time." Baqiang was very happy.

Ron waved his hand dismissively, saying it was nothing. After all, he and Baqiang were from the same hometown, so this little favor was no problem for him.

Yes, Amit Bachchan is also from Uttar Pradesh, born in Alabahhad, in the southeast.

Otherwise, Ron wouldn't have thought of hitching a ride on a train to Mumbai to donate blood.

After this little incident, Baqiang became noticeably more enthusiastic about movies.

He has his own insights into how movies should influence audiences.

"I want to capture their hearts and keep them following the story from beginning to end." He wants to star in a new male-centric film, a groundbreaking and exemplary work.

Bachchan has a strong sense of being the protagonist and wants to be the only highlight. Chopra's film aims to showcase his "intelligence! Exceptional intelligence!" as a police officer.

The former superstar even suggested, "Why not make the whole system the villain in the movie?"

He continued, "Ordinary people are being misled."

Bach said he had seen Oliver Stone's "JFK," a film that overturned his worldview.

In India, politicians and movies alike instill lies in the people, no matter how shrewd they consider themselves.

Now the public has awakened and begun to realize that the corruption of the entire system is the root cause of their misfortune.

Therefore, the clichéd ending of good triumphing over evil and everyone being happy is no longer satisfying to the audience.

Bachchan hopes that Chopra will make a thought-provoking film so that more people can recognize the reality of the situation.

He wanted the male lead and the second male lead, the policeman and the armed man, to be killed by the same bullet when they reconcile and embrace at the end of the series.

“Let’s leave the audience with something truly thought-provoking,” he suggested. “They’ll be sitting in the theater after the movie, wondering who fired the shot, and then they’ll say: Damn it, it’s the fault of that evil system!”

“How are we going to explain this to the review committee?” Chopra asked awkwardly, smoothing his thinning hair.

This is what he's most worried about; he doesn't want to cause trouble for his film.

“Don’t worry about the review committee.” Ba Qiang waved his hand, as if shooing away a swarm of flies.

He said that his film "Growth," which he shot at the Indian National Defence University, was boycotted by the military. Many officers complained to Bachchan that the film's plot was unrealistic and hinted that they would put pressure on the censorship committee.

“At worst, we’ll just ban it,” I told them. “You want realism? Then I can make a film that truly reflects the lives of soldiers: embezzlement on the front lines, gun smuggling, superiors having affairs with their subordinates’ wives.” The officers immediately backed down, saying, “Oh, forget about that, let’s go have a drink.” Amitabh Bachchan, like a movie star, won over the audience: facing the enemy’s attack without flinching, he easily dispatched them.

He truly lives up to his superstar status; his every gesture and word is incredibly captivating.

However, neither Chopra nor Ron showed any signs of being impressed.

“We need to discuss the script revisions,” Chopra explained.

“No problem, the script is revised, you can come to me anytime.” Ba Qiang readily agreed.

Leaving Amit Bachchan's villa, Chopra suddenly turned and asked.

Do you think his hair is an extension?

"what?"

"His hair on his forehead looks a bit strange."

“What you’re saying is a bit…” Ron’s expression was somewhat strange.

Not only in the front, but also on the back of Baqiang's head, where the hair dragged down to his neck in an unnatural way.

Hair loss is not the only problem troubling Ba Qiang. He is almost at his wit's end. His previous films have all been box office flops, and his acting career is facing a major crisis.

If he flops again, even a superstar like him will have to ask the director for a role.

That's why he cares so much about the script and wants to leave a deep impression on the audience.

“What do you think of his suggestion?” Chopra asked.

"The public would probably find it hard to accept a movie in which both main characters die."

"That's right! The most fundamental difference between art films and commercial films is that in commercial films, the protagonist is still alive when the film ends."

"So how do you convince him?"

“I need to find a suitable reason,” Chopra pondered. “For example: Mr. Bachchan, our system may be destroying ordinary people. But if I kill both male protagonists at the same time, our system will definitely destroy me first.”

"Ha ha!" Ron laughed.

“He’s a superstar after all; we can’t just fool him with a fake script,” Chopra shrugged.

“Actually, if you had spoken up just now, I could have persuaded him,” Ron said.

"Oh, yes, you are Mr. Sue. But we're all in Bollywood, so it's best not to be too direct."

"I remember he used to love playing these heroic movie leads, what happened to him now?"

"It may be related to a scandal from a long time ago."

"A scandal?" Ron asked with interest.

"Yes, arms scandal."

Chopra said that it happened more than a decade ago, when a major scandal broke out in India where politicians accepted bribes of up to $1.3 billion during the procurement of weapons from the well-known Swedish arms manufacturer Bofors, leading to the downfall of the government then led by Rajiv Gandhi.

Somehow, old stories resurfaced this year, and Amit Bachchan was also inexplicably dragged into it.

Under pressure from public opinion, he resigned from his parliamentary seat. His film production company's name appeared on the front page of major media outlets, his film box office plummeted, company profits dropped drastically, and his real estate was nearly mortgaged to banks.

Before the scandal broke, the country adored him so much that people were willing to donate blood for him.

So how could it be that the Indian people have withdrawn their love and trust in him?

No, it must be something else that went wrong; it must be the entire Indian system that ruined him.

Amit refused to believe it, repeating the same thought to himself over and over.

“Have you considered changing the actor?” Ron suddenly asked.

"What?" Chopra was surprised.

"He's old, balding, and likes to rewrite scripts. You could have found a younger, more handsome actor."

"Doesn't this mean I'm going to break my promise?" Chopra felt a little guilty.

"Times have changed. In the future, no one will care about acting skills or status in the film and television industry. Popularity is everything."

"Well, it's just a pity that you just promised a spot for admission."

“Those are minor matters,” Ron said nonchalantly.

Having finally managed to catch this busy man, Chopra then dragged Ron and the others to see the location shots the crew was filming in Kershammere.

These shots don't require actors; they can be filmed first and used as footage during later editing.

They present a beautiful and tranquil place with old bungalows and waterfalls cascading down through exquisite gardens.

However, Ron didn't stay there for long; he would only steal a moment of leisure at most.

In July 1998, the Reddy family of Goa suddenly contacted him, wanting to discuss a business deal.

The financial crisis, which lasted for almost a year, has finally put enormous financial pressure on some companies.

Ron is going to take a look; Goa has a lot of mineral resources, and he is very interested in them.

(End of this chapter)