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- “Can you believe they're filming a Bollywood movie on the Indian Railway? It's so exciting!"
"Yes, so exciting! A film about Bollywood. What's a Bollywood?"
"In America, they have Hollywood so in India, we have Bollywood. It's just another name for the Indian movie industry.” - ― Ashima and Thomas
Thomas Goes to Bollywood is the sixth episode of the twenty-second series.
Plot
A Bollywood action movie is being filmed on the Indian Railway. Thomas becomes fascinated by Bollywood, but is depressed when he learns that he is only involved in the movie to take the lead actor to the film set. Meanwhile, Rajiv races into the station stating that he is going to be in one of the scenes of the film.
Thomas tries to be happy while on the film set (and is even amazed by it), but finds it hard to do so and fantasises actually being in a film. All the same, he does enjoy helping out on the set and is rather surprised to see Rajiv delivering trucks despite appearing in the film.
While delivering more supplies to the set, Thomas is surprised to see the lead actor jump across a speeding Rajiv and then try to jump on top of a pile of crates. Thinking that the actor is in danger, Thomas attempts to race to the rescue and pushes away a flatbed to have the actor land in his trucks. Unfortunately, the lead actor becomes cross with Thomas; he was actually supposed to fall as part of the film and land on the flatbeds.
Thomas feels terrible about interrupting the shooting of the film, but is actually praised by Rajiv and the film's director; they both think that what Thomas did made it look really heroic. This convinces the director to keep the scene in the film. The crowd of people watching see what Thomas did and - running past the main actor - they run towards Thomas, cheering for him and taking his photo. This makes Thomas pleased that he got to star in the film after all.
Characters
- Thomas
- Ashima
- Rajiv
- Charubala
- The Indian Actor
- The Indian Director
- Noor Jehan (cameo)
- The Indian Fashion Designer (cameo)
Locations
- India
- Varkala Railway Station
- Indian Railway Shunting Yard
- Taj Mahal (mentioned/backdrop only)
- Island of Sodor (fantasy)
- The High Bridge (fantasy)
- United States (mentioned)
- Hollywood (mentioned)
Cast
UK
- John Hasler as Thomas
- Tina Desai as Ashima
- Nikhil Parmar as Rajiv and the Director
- Sheena Bhattessa as Charubala
- Sanjeev Bhaskar as the Actor
- Rob Rackstraw as the Trailer Voice-over
US
- Joseph May as Thomas
- Tina Desai as Ashima
- Nikhil Parmar as Rajiv and the Director
- Sheena Bhattessa as Charubala
- Sanjeev Bhaskar as the Actor
- Rob Rackstraw as the Trailer Voice-over
Trivia
- Going by production order, this is the seventh episode of the twenty-second series.
- The title is a reference to the English pop band, "Frankie Goes to Hollywood".
- This episode marks the first of several things:
- Charubala's first speaking role and first appearance in an episode.
- This is the first episode to have Thomas' name in the title since the nineteenth series episode, Thomas the Babysitter.
- The first episode in which the Island of Sodor does not appear at all counting fantasy sequences (not counting the beginning and ending segments with Thomas).
- The first episode not to have Keith Wickham as part of the voice cast since the Big World! Big Adventures! rebrand, and the first since the twentieth series episode, Love Me Tender.
- This is the only episode in where Noor Jehan appears, but does not speak.
- The film in Thomas' fantasy is entitled Big Hero One, which may be a reference to the 2014 Disney film and Marvel comic book series, Big Hero 6.
- On the Nick Jr. US airing of this episode, it was paired with Confusion Without Delay.
Goofs
- In the scene of the director telling Thomas his scene will be in the movie, half of Rajiv's buffer beam disappears.
Merchandise
In Other Languages
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Home Media Releases
UK/AUS
GER
| #01 Number One Engine | #10 Outback Thomas | #19 Cyclone Thomas |
| #02 Forever and Ever | #11 School of Duck | #20 Kangaroo Christmas |
| #03 Confusion Without Delay | #12 Tiger Trouble | #21 Thomas and the Dragon |
| #04 Trusty Trunky | #13 Seeing Is Believing | #22 Rosie is Red |
| #05 What Rebecca Does | #14 Apology Impossible | #23 The Case of the Puzzling Parts |
| #06 Thomas Goes to Bollywood | #15 The Water Wheel | #24 Banjo and the Bushfire |
| #07 Thomas in the Wild | #16 Samson and the Fireworks | #25 Counting on Nia |
| #08 Thomas and the Monkey Palace | #17 Runaway Truck | #26 Hunt the Truck |
| #09 An Engine of Many Colours | #18 Thomas' Animal Ark | |