Filming ’Blood Hunt’ in Bangkok: My cinematic journey through Thailand

It was completely unexpected—the trip to Thailand. And that too, for acting in an English movie. On January 20th, at exactly midnight, the Japan Airlines flight I was on, landed at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport. Director Sandeep and action star Simon Kook were there to receive me. Clean-shaven and with long hair, Simon looked so different that, at first glance, anyone could easily mistake him for a beautiful woman. Even though he’s Thai, his long, straight hair gives him a Native American appearance.

We took an Uber together to a hotel in Bangkok. It was a fairly well-maintained star hotel. Since there was no shoot scheduled that day, I took the opportunity to rest. The next day, we moved to another hotel in Nitin Buri for better access to the shooting locations. We had to shoot a few scenes there as well.

Our first day of shooting was at the swimming pool of the initial hotel. Although I didn’t have a scene scheduled that day due to travel fatigue, I still went to the pool deck. There were two very beautiful Bangkok women shooting a scene with Simon Kook. They were doing a swimming sequence. Since they didn’t speak English, coordinating the scene in Thai took time, but eventually, everything went smoothly.

Later in the evening, Simon asked:

“You want company?”

I didn’t understand at first.

“I mean, the swimming girls.”

“What do you mean?”

“Antony, this is Bangkok—only 3000 Baht for the night.”

Sandeep smiled knowingly. Then I understood what he meant. Baht is their currency. I replied:

“No, Simon. We’re here for the shoot, not for vacation.”

He got the point and didn’t insist.

Bangkok wasn’t quite what I expected. I thought all the hotels would be like Bombay’s red streets, filled with girls in the lobbies offering deals. But there was nothing like that. Although prostitution is legal, it isn’t overtly visible. There are specific zones for that, like certain parts of Bangkok and Pattaya, about a 90-minute drive away. Pattaya is known to have beautiful beaches.

For dinner, Simon brought in some authentic Thai food and his favorite vodka. Usually quiet people, both Simon and Sandeep became more talkative under the influence of vodka. They discussed cinema and the next day’s schedule in detail. After dinner, they returned to their rooms. I, exhausted from traveling, fell asleep quickly.

I’m writing this note from Hotel Shashi in Nitin Buri, 30 kilometers from Bangkok. Finding a hotel named “Shashi”—a typical Malayalam name—was amusing. The hotel wasn’t very fancy, but it was comfortable. Hot water, air conditioning, free internet, and Wi-Fi—what more do you need these days? After all, isn’t it said that “Wi-Fi is more important than wife”?

All the shooting locations were in village areas. While Thailand has plenty of beaches, its landscapes aren’t like those in Kerala. However, if you drive far enough, there are parts which resemble Kerala with small streams, banana groves, and coconut palms. The climate too is similar to Kerala’s.

My scenes for the English film ‘Blood Hunt’ officially wrapped in four days, though a few scenes will be shot in Hollywood within two months. I play a character named Antony, a taxi driver based in Bangkok and the uncle of the hero Sandy. My final scene was shot on January 29th. Interestingly, it was the movie’s first scene—picking up Sandy from the airport. Since we didn’t have official permits, it was shot guerrilla-style with a handheld camera. Everything went smoothly.

This was my first time filming in Bangkok. My earlier Hollywood movie was ‘Cash’, starring Sean Bean and Chris Hemsworth. It was shot in Chicago, where I played a Sardarji—the first time I acted in such a role.

‘Blood Hunt’ features well-known action stars Ron Smoorenburg and Simon Kook. Ron Smoorenburg played the villain in Jackie Chan’s hit ‘Who Am I?’ and has acted in ‘Brothers’ and other Hollywood and Bollywood movies. 

Simon Kook has also worked with Jackie Chan in multiple films. Getting to perform action scenes with such big names under director Sandeep J. Lukose was a major highlight of my career.

My first action role was in the Tamil film ‘Moradan’ by Kunjumon Thaha, shot in Tenkasi. Ashraf Gurukkal was my first action master. My very first action scene got an “OK” on the first take. Some school kids who had come to watch the shoot clapped and later took photos with me. In the evening, locals honored both me and Ashraf Gurukkal with shawls. I’ll never forget the love and respect from those simple-hearted people of Tenkasi.

There was no shoot on the 26th. That day, Sandeep, Simon, and I traveled for two hours to the famous Pattaya. Along the way, we visited a few Buddhist temples. Everywhere you turn, there are large and small Buddha temples. I saw only one Christian church and hardly any Hindu temples.

Pattaya is Thailand’s red-light area. Our main destination was the famous Walking Street. We had dinner at Malabar Restaurant, owned by a Malayali named Baby Mathew. Since he was on a family vacation in Cambodia, he had asked the staff to take care of us. My friend Bobby in London had informed Baby Mathew of our arrival. They welcomed us warmly.

We enjoyed vodka, whiskey, chapathi, prawn curry, and beef fry. After dinner, the manager Prince made an announcement:

“The drinks are complimentary!”

Simon’s face lit up and he asked:

“Is it true, Antony?”

When I nodded yes, he ordered another whiskey.

Simon drove us back from Pattaya to Nitin Buri via Bangkok. At one point, I asked:

“Are you tired?”

He laughed and replied:

“I never get tired of driving.”

We had previously scheduled an interview for Pattaya BKK1 Radio Station, which has 1.4 million listeners. The station is owned by David Michael Durham, a British citizen married to a Thai woman. He has been in radio broadcasting for 30 years. Our interview focused on the film and shooting experience.

Later, we walked down Pattaya’s Walking Street—a city that never sleeps. With neon lights flashing, crowds buzzing, loud music playing, and young women waiting for visitors, the atmosphere was surreal. But behind the glitz, the struggles of those who live and work there are heartbreaking.

On the 27th, we had breakfast again at Malabar Restaurant before heading back. The staff mentioned how, due to Thailand’s proximity to India, many Malayalis—both families and solo travelers—come to visit.

The next day’s shoot was at Halie’s Garden Place, 20 km from our Shashi Hotel in Nitin Buri. It was a charming place with bamboo cottages. Since I didn’t have a scene, I sat in one of the cottages jotting down notes—made easier thanks to the internet.

Outside, the shouts of “Action… Cut!” echoed. Simon later told me that Sandeep had performed brilliantly in his action scenes. I eventually dozed off while writing. When I woke up, it was 9:20 PM. My flight back to America was at 2 AM. I had to leave for Suvarnabhumi Airport in 40 minutes. Simon himself dropped me off.

That night’s shoot was expected to go till midnight. I flew with Hong Kong Airlines to Hong Kong, and from there, United Airlines to San Francisco—arriving at 6:30 AM on the 30th. Prema had come to pick me up from the airport, so I didn’t have to take a train to get home.

Now, I’m preparing to go to Hollywood next week to film a few more scenes.