Thief of Baghdad comes to <i>amchi</i> Mumbai

Thief of Baghdad comes to amchi Mumbai
HAIMA DESHPANDE

MUMBAI, MARCH 3: A Bollywood director, caricatured in a Ramgopal Varma film, boasts: ``My competition is not here, it's in Hollywood.'' Hollywood is still a bit far away but directors from other countries might soon share the studios with their Mumbai counterparts.

The Maharashtra government's grand plan to repackage Mumbai's famed Film City is getting positive response. Though Hollywood has not yet knocked on its doors, several foriegn producers have.

Hallmark Entertainment (New York) will film part of its Thief of Baghdad at Film City. Hallmark Chairman Robert Halmi who visited Film City recently was impressed by the facilities and decided to bring his cast and crew for the shoot across oceans, say officials.

The Maharashtra Government had appointed Anderson Consulting as the consultants for the Big Plan to develop Film City as a one-stop shop for international filmmakers.

According to officials, as may as 13 filmmakers from abroad and international entertainment giants Sony and Universal Studios too have shown interest in shooting here. The filmamkers include Ros Colosimho (Colosimho Productions, Melbourne), Helle Ryslinge (Denmark), Kim Tae Min (Korean Broadcasting System), Kuang Xiaolin (China Film International), Jayampathi (Maclear Film Productions, Sri Lanka), Esatolah Entesasami (Iran) and Fredruksou (Iceland). The film corporations who are talking to the authorities are Scottish Screen, East Midlands Screen Commission, South Wales Film Commission and the Central England Screen Commission.

Maharashtra secretary for Cultural Affairs and Managing Director of Film City, Govind Swarup, says: ``We have the infrastructure at Film City. The thrust will now on technology development. This will be a two-pronged strategy -- to make the studios state-of-the-art and set up a training institute. The total cost for the remodelling and development is an estimated Rs 40 crore. We have raised Rs 20 crore through bonds and the renaining amount will be raised through borrowings from financial institutions such as IDBI.''

In addition to the 18 existing studios, four more will be added within the next six months. These studios will have facilities for satellite link-up, computerised lighting and camera movements, spot editing, computer graphics, digital technology and special effects.

The government also plans to set up five-star facilities such as cottages, swimming pool, museum, library and restaurants. These will be operational in the next two years, says Swarup. ``We do not want to make everything exorbitant. We want the small producers anf filmmakers also to avail of the facilities. So the rates will be categorised,'' he says.

Film City will also see the birth of a training institute in the next three months. The government has been in touch with film institutes in the United States, British, Canada and Australia for a possible tie-up. ``The joint venture agreement will be signed within two months,'' says Swarup. ``Students will be trained in all disciplines of the entertainment industry. The idea is to develop the manpower for domestic and international employment. The modalities are being worked out,'' he adds.