TEMPLE has revealed the official trailer for ‘BRAND BOLLYWOOD…downunder’. Directed and written by Anupam Sharma (The Run, UnINDIAN) and co-written and edited by Karin Steininger (Remember Anne Frank), the feature documentary is an entertaining and informative insight into the ‘bollywoodisation’ and globalisation of Indian cinema through its 89-year-old love affair with Australia. Sharma produced the film alongside Claire Haywood (Territory Cops, Pink House) and Deepti Sachdeva (The Run) and executive producers Lisa Duff (UnINDIAN) and Janine Barnes (Downriver).
Shot across many locations including Australia, India, France, UK and Switzerland, the film features some of the biggest Bollywood stars and creatives, providing a rare behind the scenes look at some of the major Bollywood films shot at iconic Australian locations. Taking audiences back to the evolution of Bollywood as it expanded internationally and fell in love with Australian locations, the film explores the successes and failures of Bollywood’s rise as a serious subculture in Australia and opens a window into its rich and fascinating world.
Speaking from Cannes Sharma said: “The film has been a culmination of 23 years of working with Bollywood as one of the first Indian born Australian film graduates and is my answer to all the questions about Bollywood I have had to answer trying to explain the different film culture.
“I am so glad that I had the talents of Karin Steininger to shape an engaging, humorous and entertaining narrative as a co-writer and editor. It was a mammoth task to make sense of hours and hours of footage and a deep sea of archives. Only Karin could have done this.”
One of Bollywood’s biggest international stars Anupam Kher is featured in the film along with many other Bollywood stars, iconic film personalities, Australian politicians, film executives and producers.
Kher said: “It is a delight to be part of Anupam Sharma’s international documentary on Popular Hindi Cinema targeted at Indian audience celebrating our cinema and western audience who are still learning about our film culture. Over the years I have come to share a wonderful association with Australia, and to see an Australian feature film with government support on India’s popular cinema is heartening particularly as Australia and India finalise a film co-production treaty. I am so looking forward to acting in more Australian Indian films as the experience in Hotel Mumbai was really gratifying.”
The launch of the trailer at Cannes comes on the eve of an Australian Indian Film Co-Production treaty which was discussed at a panel on Co-Production at the Indian Pavilion on 17th May in the presence of Indian Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting along with Screen Australia CEO Graeme Mason and Head of Content Grainne Brunsdon.
Screen Australia CEO Graeme Mason said: “Congratulations Anupam Sharma and Karin Steininger on your film, it is a timely reminder of how valuable international partnerships are to ensuring distinctive Australian stories are shared both locally and globally. India is an incredibly important cultural and economic partner to Australia, and I look forward to bringing our screen industries closer together.”
The film will have a theatrical release through Forum Films, in Australia, New Zealand, PNG, and Fiji after screenings around Australia with panel discussions on the power of soft diplomacy between India and Australia and how film continues to play an important part in the trade, tourism, and other sectors of bilateral links between Australia and India.
MD of Forum Films and EP on the film Pritesh Ranega said: “I am really excited to be partnering with this film which portrays the journey of Bollywood cinema and how it has become an integral and growing industry in Australasia.”
For more information visit www.bollywooddownunder.com.au.
