Marc Baschet to shoot his next film in India

Marc Baschet, producer of the movie “No Man’s Land”, which won the Oscars for the Best Foreign Language Film in 2001, was in Jaipur with wife, Michelle, and though he had a hard time dealing with the traffic of India, he is all praise for the people of India. While talking to JT, he shared his plans of shooting his next movie in India. Read on!
It is his first time in India, but the director/producer from France is all geared up to shoot his next venture in India.“This is the first time that I have come to India and all my childhood I have dreamt of coming here, so for me, it’s like achieving a dream. The people here are very kind and I love the Indian film industry,” he told us. Like any other foreigner, he also loves watching Bollywood movies. He said, “Indian cinema is a big industry, it’s very huge though it is not well-known in France, but I love it and I have few DVD’s of Bollywood movies. The people of the film industry are very skilled and shooting with them will be a great thing for me.”
Tell us something about the movie that you plan to shoot in India. “It will be English speaking international movie which will have Hollywood stars and I will rope in Indian talent for the movie to take care of the technical side,” he replied, adding, “The director of my upcoming movie is Danis Tanovic, the same man who directed “No Man’s Land”. It is a love story which will have a political side to it. We will come to India on a recce in March and start shooting in November.” So, you think you will find the ideal location here? “You just need to find a story, which belongs to India, to be able to come and shoot here and I have found that perfect love story. The way of living and the way of loving here is exceptional and that is what I want to capture in my movie. There are a lot of love stories in India and India, for me, is a symbol of love,” shared Marc, adding, “We will shoot the indoor scenes in Mumbai and the outdoor scenes in North India. Do you plan to rope in any stars from Bollywood? He said, “It is too soon to say whether I will rope in any Bollywood actor for the yet untitled movie,” but he doesn’t close that option.
In the past, a lot of international film-makers have come to shoot in India and Marc joins the bandwagon. “India is full of excellent locations that are very culturally marked and when you look at Indian locations, they look like Indian and not French or German, Italian or European. So, you have to start from a local story to get an international narrative,” he said. More than anything else, it is the enthusiasm of the people which beholds his attention. He lets in, “India is very attractive and appealing to us – the enthusiasm, skill and talent of the people attract filmmakers from across the globe.” But he has a grouse.
“Indian cinema needs to be open to other international directors and producers and I see Indian cinema finally doing that now. They are opening the doors and now we can walk between cultures, mix them, and yet, maintain an identity. There are very nice locations in India and the country has immense potential, but it just needs to be used in the right measure.”