Hollywood comes to Bollywood

Also to be shot at the same time is Last Bachelor, an international romantic comedy, in Rajasthan and Goa.


Ians March 01, 2011

WASHINGTON: Three new Hollywood films are set to be shot in India shortly as producers explore the Indian market with the help of an Indian American talent manager in Hollywood.

Jai Khanna, who booked Irrfan Khan on Sony’s new big-budget 3D Spider-Man film, Ang Lee’s Life of Pi and HBO’s “In Treatment”, is now looking to get more big names from Bollywood into mainstream Hollywood projects.

“The process of selecting India as a location has been easy,” says Jai Khanna, a manager at Brillstein Entertainment Partners (BEP), a top Hollywood talent management film and television production company.

“The key is finding the right partners, those with the right sensibility, in order to navigate the landscape and politics of India, as well as appeal to an American crew and cast,” said Khanna.

Hope Lost, the first of three films targeted for India production, is aimed for a summer shoot in Mumbai. Based on the hit comic book series by Jeff Albert, it’s an action-thriller about the duality battle between good and evil, with themes of the Ramayana.

The second, River of Gods, based on a novel by Ian McDonald that won the British Science Fiction Award in 2004, imagines a futuristic India, inhabited by ancient traditions as well as artificial intelligence, robots and nanotechnology.

Also to be shot at the same time is Last Bachelor, an international romantic comedy, in Rajasthan and Goa.

“India has been viewed as an exotic location for actors, and not immediately thought of as a film location. If we can marry the two experiences, of exploring the wonders of India and working in a professional manner, we hope for more productions to enter India,” said Khanna.

“Both industries are thriving with talented artists, technicians and stories. I have a special affinity with Indian cinema and talent, as a first generation Indo-American exposed to the best of both worlds.

“There is no rush or urgency for Indian actors to work in Hollywood. There is never a sense of needing Hollywood to validate their work. I recognize and respect this,” says Khanna.

“As a result, it’s on a case-by-case basis on carefully looking at interesting opportunities in Hollywood, presenting them to our clients, then embarking on our next ‘challenge,’ which is to educate Hollywood on why such actor is the best selection for this role.”

“There is an illusion about ‘Bollywood’ based on a naivety, that it’s all song and dance,” says Khanna, who himself does not care much for that label.

“An education is needed for Hollywood to watch the Indian films in its entirety, so there is a much deeper level of respect and admiration for the acting that surrounds such song and dance.

But managing the Bollywood stars is very different from managing Hollywood stars, says Khanna.

“Because of the distance of two cultures, there needs to be an extra level of education on our part to fully understand their stature in India. Again, we are dealing with the best of the best,” he said.

“They are not budding artists, but quite the opposite. They are exposed to great material, lucrative compensation, and country wide admiration. My strategy is to bring something different to the table,” said Khanna.

“One of the challenges is the pace of our business,” he says. “It moves quickly, as stars are eager to find their next projects and start production. My experience with a select few from India, has been the slow turn around in feedback.

“This lack of communication makes it difficult, but it’s getting better, with technology, or just helping to create a better infrastructure,” he said, citing the example of Hrithik Roshan, who he says “is great with communication.”

Published in The Express Tribune, March 2nd, 2011.

COMMENTS (5)

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Aitum Bumb | 13 years ago | Reply @lol, in case you didn't notice, so is @Jeddy
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