Hollywood Hits Made in India

HINDUSTAN TIMES, DECEMBER 2005

India is positioning itself as a potentially large outsourcing destination for Hollywood movies. The government's policies, including an agreement with the UK, has seen at least nine new Hollywood films have either been made or are in the process of being made in India in a dramatic surge unprecedented in Indian history. The movies include Looking For Comedy In The Muslim World, Scrolls, The Namesake, The Thread, Partition, Man from Rajapur, Kerala, Exclusion and Marigold (pic attached), which stars Bollywood heartthrob Salman Khan.

From being a hub of IT outsourcing, India is looking to become the biggest draw for outsourcing of international movies. The Indian government has also relaxed the requirement of screening all movies shot in the country at Indian diplomatic missions. Now only movies with sensitive content are required to be shown at the missions. Earlier the producer had to bear the cost of an Indian liaison officer to be present at such screenings, it will now be borne by the Indian government.

Hollywood and other international producers are all praises for the skill and talent of Indian film technicians and consider them at par with the best in the world. According to Patrick Crowley, who shot The Bourne Supremacy in Goa, India's leading key grip technician Sanjay Sami was one of the best he had worked with anywhere in the world.

Currently only two studios that meet Western production standards in India are Ramoji Film City and the recently launched Yash Raj's studios in Mumbai. Ramoji has approximately 50 shooting floors set on a 2,000 acre backlot. Yash Raj has three state-of-the-art soundstages and excellebt make-up and actor holding facilities. More studios on the same lines, to attract international ventures, are being worked upon.

More studios on the same lines, to attract international ventures, are being worked upon.