Rush of Hollywood stars into Bollywood

Bollywood stars used to seek entry into Hollywood, but now the tables seem to turning with upcoming Bollywood production “Kambakkht Ishq” (Unfortunate Love) releasing on May 28.

Nine Hollywood actors/actresses, including Oscar nominated Sylvester Stallone (Rocky), Denise Richards (Finding Bliss), Brandon Routh (Zack and Miri Make a Porno), Diane Sellers (Cordially Invited) are reportedly acting in this Bollywood international romantic comedy with Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor in the lead.

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Directed by Sabir Khan (Maine Pyar Kyun Kiya?) with a budget reportedly of over 12 million dollars in which Kumar plays a Hollywood stuntman, its title track is composed by United Kingdom bhangra group RDB. It has been reportedly shot in-around Los Angeles in USA (Universal Studios, Kodak Theatre, Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles International Airport, Malibu, Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, Pacific Coast Highway, Santa Monica Pier, etc.), Venice in Italy, Mumbai India, etc.

Acclaimed Indo-American statesman Rajan Zed has welcomed Hollywood-Bollywood working together to provide universal entertainment. He hoped more Hollywood-Bollywood joint ventures in the future, thus bringing East-West closer.

Various India focused international film projects reportedly in the pipeline include British projects ambitious “Indian Summer” of Working Title, producer Leslee Udwin’s “West is West”, producer Graham Broadbent’s “These Foolish Things”, a detective series and a film about a crazed elephant by David Thompson of Origin Pictures, Gurinder Chadha’s two new projects, etc.; and Australian ventures "The Waiting City" by Claire McCarthy, "Bollywood Down Under", “Family Unit”, documentary “Bollywood Bazaar”, producer Bill Bennett’s thriller, John Winter’s two India-centric films, projects by Anupam Sharma and Jim McElroy and David Wood, etc. Hollywood recently co-produced Bollywood films like "Chandni Chowk To China" and "Saawariya". Los Angeles based PCB Productions reportedly is looking at mobile gaming to supplement major Bollywood releases for Western audience.

Reasons cited for this sudden passion for India are: Slumdog effect, globalization, Bollywood’s growing technical sophistication and resources, cost-effectiveness, exoticism, irresistible locations, exploding global market for India-centric films, etc.

Welcoming world filmmakers rushing to India, Rajan Zed, who is chairperson of Indo-American Leadership Confederation, urged them to take Hinduism and other religions of India seriously and respectfully and not reimagining their concepts and symbols just for mercantile greed.