Bollywood goes international

Bollywood is going international. As the film industry continues to grow by leaps and bounds, many international film production are viewing us with enhanced seriousness.
So much so that many well-known companies have set up shop in India and are currently making Indian films alongside international ones. Fox Star Studios is making Dum Maaro Dum starring Abhishek Bachchan, Warner Brothers in association with Revel Films is making two Hindi films, Phas Gaye Re Obama and Utt Patang and Disney is coming up with Once upon a Warrior.
The Indian film industry has caught the eye of foreign companies for many reasons. Not only do they find our scripts and stories fresh and enjoyable, they also see us as a new market of viewers. Mahesh Samat, MD, Walt Disney Company, India says that Indian audiences have a voracious appetite for rich storytelling and this helps to build a family entertainment brand. “Localisation of content is the cornerstone of this strategy. Our creative and technological advances in storytelling provide us with a creative edge to entertain the whole family,” he says. The company, which has already made Do Dooni Char is currently working on a film titled Once upon a Warrior starring Shruti Hassan and Siddharth.
With foreign companies producing films, many Bollywood films are reaching out to many more countries. Fox Star Studios which produced and marketed My Name is Khan, had screenings in countries like Jordan, Syria and even China. Vijay Singh, CEO, Fox Star Studios, India says it is all about innovating and bringing out better and well-made films. “The Hindi film industry, being a one billion dollar market has immense potential. We have immense faith in it.
We are bringing our own technical skill sets like script analysing, marketing and distribution to create better business model and take Indian films to more markets,” he says. Sanujeet Bhujabal, Director of Marketing Sony, adds, “Companies are realising the potential that the Indian market has. But not only are they finding the Hindi film industry a great market, they are also benefiting from the regional markets. They wish to bring their expertise and create a large portfolio of films.”
Sanjay Bhattacharjee, filmmaker and CEO of Seven Islands Productions, has done many international projects like The Stamp Collector and National Roaming. He believes this new trend will benefit both sides.
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