Bollywood’s one-man army in Ladakh

From managing hotel stay and transport for crews, Odpal George has become crucial to production process too

His culinary skills, too, have been of help. George often cooks at Bollywood parties hosted by his friends. Among his unfulfilled dreams is opening a restaurant in Ladakh.

The eldest of five siblings, George’s father was an announcer with All India Radio and his mother was a homemaker. Theirs was one of only two Christian families in a village of 150 Buddhist and Muslim households.

George initially studied in the picturesque village school overlooking the Indus Valley, but later attended Moravian Institute in Dehradun and the Wynberg Allen School in Mussoorie.

After graduating from Hyderabad’s Osmania University, George bounced in and out of jobs in travel and hospitality industries before deciding to launch Himalayan Safaris.

His engagement with Bollywood hasn’t hurt that business. “Himalayan Safaris continues to work with upmarket tourists—mostly Italians, Austrians and Americans. We even handled a large Stanford (University) alumni group,” says George. The film business has boosted the number of tourists visiting the valley. But, says George, it is as unpredictable as it is lucrative. “Bollywood lacks patience. You can’t come to Leh and think that you will complete shooting the same day and leave. The terrain can be harsh on you. You need to acclimatize.”

In the last few years, George has also added oxygen cylinders and two doctors on call to his unit. “Seven or eight years ago, there was a medical emergency and two members of a film crew who had heart complications lost their lives,” he says.

Thanks to his association with films, George is gaining increasing traction among the locals. For instance, he got a boy from Leh the chance to play the young Khan in 3 Idiots. George’s father was cast as the boy’s schoolteacher who, incidentally, had to travel to Shimla for the single shot.

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