Director Imtiaz Ali's much awaited Love Aaj Kal, marking the debut of national-award winning actor Saif Ali Khan as a producer, released worldwide today to huge expectations.
With this, the Omkara star has joined the Khan bandwagon--Shah Rukh and Aamir, who are established producers.
Love... is a story eulogising the importance of heart over head theme for a commitment phobic, where Saif plays two diverse characters, featuring Deepika Padukone as the female protagonist.
The actor essays the characters of Jai representing today's alpha male, and Veer, the younger version of Rishi Kapoor, a shy but sure lover, set in the 50s; and in both the phases, he listens and follows his heart to win the lady love in different circumstances.
While some critics dubbed the Imtiaz Ali's latest as cliched, others said good locales and foot-tapping numbers may help it to pick up with word-of-the-mouth publicity.
"Expectations are high especially after Jab We Met and comparisons between both the films were evident," said another film critic.
An additional highlight of the film is a cameo by yesteryear actress Neetu Singh opposite her real life husband Rishi Kapoor.
Akash, a college student, who caught the first show today, went ga-ga over the Om Shanti Om girl Deepika Padukone. "A few more such classy performances and she would be in the top league," he said.
However, Shashi Sharma, a bank manager in his mid 40s, did not find the film to be riveting but found Deepika impressive.
Senior journalist Ajay Brahmatmaj, felt that the Imtiaz used the flashback sequences in a very innovative manner.
On Deepika's performance he said," the character required a lot of maturity. Especially in the sequence depicting her longing for Saif and dilema to choose between love and marriage could have been handled in a better way."
"Saif has handled two different characters ably showing his versatality." As usual, Rishi Kapoor was very likeable even in a small role, he added.
The movie also had its share of controversies with the All India Punjabi Cultural and Heritage Board objecting to two scenes in a Gurudwara and the trimmed beard of Saif's Sikh character in the film.
However, Saif has given a written apology to the board, its president Charan Singh Sapra said yesterday.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Marriage made in heaven or on TV? Rakhi will decide on Sunday
Will she? Won't she? Rakhi Sawant moved from being an outspoken item girl to a coy bride, and now the question whether she will actually get married through her televised swayamvar has middle class India in a thrall.
The "wedding" is slated for Sunday on her show Rakhi ka Swayamvar -- which saw Rakhi choosing the most suitable groom from a list of 16 in 25 episodes -- and excitement is peaking.
"It has to be the Canadian guy", "She will walk out without marrying", "There will be a wild card entry", "The contestants would be asked to choose between money and Rakhi", "Who cares?"... just some of the random thoughts and queries of the many viewers that NDTV Imagine added after the reality show began June 29.
Dressed in Indian finery and suitably demure, Rakhi shortlisted five grooms and even went to their homes to get to know the families. As the feisty bit actress who hit the limelight with her outrageous statements, not to forget the kissing controversy with singer Mika, played the ideal Indian bahu, viewers happily tuned in every weeknight.
On Sunday, the speculation will come to an end when Rakhi announces whom she will marry.
"It's likely that the show is a farce, because most of the shows that generate huge publicity are planned for that purpose. Maybe she will marry him for the show, with a pre-nuptial agreement and then annul the marriage...unless the chosen one is rich enough to stay with," said Jaya Kumar Mathur, a housewife.
There are others who did not share Jaya's cynicism and said Rakhi could actually be looking for true love.
According to Saniya Mehta, for instance, it is quite possible she will settle down with one of the final three contenders - Toronto-based Gujarati boy Elesh Parujanwala, young aspirant Manas Katyal and businessman Chhitiz Jain, both of whom stay in New Delhi.
"But unless the groom shifts to Mumbai, which is Rakhi's workplace, her life would not be smooth after the show. She should take her decision carefully," said Mehta who feels Parujanwala is the best suitor for the item girl.
Channel officials are equally clueless.
"It would be a big decision for Rakhi. There is new speculation every day about the climax of the show, but even we can't tell anything as of now. Ultimately what will happen on Sunday will be entirely Rakhi's call," Nikhil Madhok, vice president (marketing and communications) of NDTV Imagine said.
"If she says she wants to marry the same day, we are all set with the preparations. If not, it's for her to decide because it's her life," he added.
The preparations are grand. Whatever the decision, Rakhi will be dressed in a Neeta Lulla creation and wear jewellery designed by Farah Ali Khan, including a necklace worth Rs 3 million.
Of course, like any other grand Indian wedding, a multi-cuisine buffet dinner will be laid out. The menu, planned by Rakhi herself will include Gujarati, Punjabi and Maharashtrian delicacies.
The guest list will be equally impressive, including TV celebrities as well as Bollywood stars. Rumours are rife that Bollywood's ace director Karan Johar, who invited Rakhi on his chat show Koffee With Karan is expected to be one of the invitees.
The show, the first of its kind in India, has brought unprecedented TRP (television rating points) success for NDTV Imagine. The premiere of the one-hour show saw ratings soar to 3.5%. The channel is hoping that Sunday's episode will be even better.
In the original American show, The Bachelorette, the contestant in many cases didn't get married or the marriage didn't last too long, with the one exception. Trista Rehn marriedphysiotherapist Ryan Sutter in the maiden season of the show in 2003 and now has two children.
So will it be happily ever after for Rakhi too?
The "wedding" is slated for Sunday on her show Rakhi ka Swayamvar -- which saw Rakhi choosing the most suitable groom from a list of 16 in 25 episodes -- and excitement is peaking.
"It has to be the Canadian guy", "She will walk out without marrying", "There will be a wild card entry", "The contestants would be asked to choose between money and Rakhi", "Who cares?"... just some of the random thoughts and queries of the many viewers that NDTV Imagine added after the reality show began June 29.
Dressed in Indian finery and suitably demure, Rakhi shortlisted five grooms and even went to their homes to get to know the families. As the feisty bit actress who hit the limelight with her outrageous statements, not to forget the kissing controversy with singer Mika, played the ideal Indian bahu, viewers happily tuned in every weeknight.
On Sunday, the speculation will come to an end when Rakhi announces whom she will marry.
"It's likely that the show is a farce, because most of the shows that generate huge publicity are planned for that purpose. Maybe she will marry him for the show, with a pre-nuptial agreement and then annul the marriage...unless the chosen one is rich enough to stay with," said Jaya Kumar Mathur, a housewife.
There are others who did not share Jaya's cynicism and said Rakhi could actually be looking for true love.
According to Saniya Mehta, for instance, it is quite possible she will settle down with one of the final three contenders - Toronto-based Gujarati boy Elesh Parujanwala, young aspirant Manas Katyal and businessman Chhitiz Jain, both of whom stay in New Delhi.
"But unless the groom shifts to Mumbai, which is Rakhi's workplace, her life would not be smooth after the show. She should take her decision carefully," said Mehta who feels Parujanwala is the best suitor for the item girl.
Channel officials are equally clueless.
"It would be a big decision for Rakhi. There is new speculation every day about the climax of the show, but even we can't tell anything as of now. Ultimately what will happen on Sunday will be entirely Rakhi's call," Nikhil Madhok, vice president (marketing and communications) of NDTV Imagine said.
"If she says she wants to marry the same day, we are all set with the preparations. If not, it's for her to decide because it's her life," he added.
The preparations are grand. Whatever the decision, Rakhi will be dressed in a Neeta Lulla creation and wear jewellery designed by Farah Ali Khan, including a necklace worth Rs 3 million.
Of course, like any other grand Indian wedding, a multi-cuisine buffet dinner will be laid out. The menu, planned by Rakhi herself will include Gujarati, Punjabi and Maharashtrian delicacies.
The guest list will be equally impressive, including TV celebrities as well as Bollywood stars. Rumours are rife that Bollywood's ace director Karan Johar, who invited Rakhi on his chat show Koffee With Karan is expected to be one of the invitees.
The show, the first of its kind in India, has brought unprecedented TRP (television rating points) success for NDTV Imagine. The premiere of the one-hour show saw ratings soar to 3.5%. The channel is hoping that Sunday's episode will be even better.
In the original American show, The Bachelorette, the contestant in many cases didn't get married or the marriage didn't last too long, with the one exception. Trista Rehn marriedphysiotherapist Ryan Sutter in the maiden season of the show in 2003 and now has two children.
So will it be happily ever after for Rakhi too?
Monday, July 27, 2009
Bollywood Stars Compete With Hollywood For The Big Earnings
Forbes annually publishes its top celebrities list based on earnings and visibility. Top Hollywood earners make more than $100 million dollars annually. But how does its Bollywood brethren fair?
Depends on how you calculate earnings. India's most talented earns a tenth of that - according to the list of top income tax payers. India's top four actors paid $10mn in advance tax in 2009. Industry favorite Akshay Kumar paid $4mn in taxes and Bollywood King Shah Rukh Khan paid $3mn. Third on the list is superstar Hrthik Roshan, who paid $2mn followed by Aamir Khan who paid $1.3mn.
If advance tax receipts are accurate, it means that Akshay earned approximately $12mn last year, Shah Rukh Khan earned $9mn, Hrthik Roshan, $6mn and Aamir Khan, $4mn.
However, advance taxes often understate how much Bollywood stars actually pay as they are only an indication of the total income of a person. Bollywood stars have three major sources of income: (1) movies (2) endorsements (3) TV shows. And endorsements, for many, yield much more income than the movies.
Bollywood stars promote anywhere from 10 to 15 products a year and top stars make +$1mn per endorsement. Cola companies line up at the feet of Bollywood Stars with Coca-Cola and Pepsi paying top dollars for an endorsement. Not far behind, are the telecom companies who also shell out big bucks. These endorsements earn Bollywood stars more than movies.
Akshay Kumar endorses approximately 10 products at any given time. Conservatively, from his endorsements alone, Akshay makes $10mn. Add his salary from his movies, which averages $4mn per movie, and he makes an additional $12mn a year (given that he makes +3 movies a year). Finally, like many top bollywood stars, Akshay is on television. He is earning approximately $500k per episode as an anchor on the Indian version of Fear Factor. All in all, he is going to clear $20mn from the reality show for its forty episode run. That mean's Akshay's total earnings are $40mn dollars a year.
But that's not all Akshay earns in India, where Purchasing Power Parity (PPT) means that his earnings go along away. Take the standard PPT ratio of 5:1 and Akshay Kumar earns more than $200mn per year-adjusted dollars - more than any Hollywood Star.
Salman Khan and Shahrukh Khan (also known as the King of Bollywood) are the two other movie stars who are doing the Bollywood trifecta: (1) movies (2) TV and (3) endorsements. A similar analysis of Shahrukh's pay would find him earning more than $50mn (in his top years). That's how the King of Bollywood can afford to pay a reported $30mn for a new house in London.
Bollywood stars aren't showing up in the Forbes list, but they should be.
Depends on how you calculate earnings. India's most talented earns a tenth of that - according to the list of top income tax payers. India's top four actors paid $10mn in advance tax in 2009. Industry favorite Akshay Kumar paid $4mn in taxes and Bollywood King Shah Rukh Khan paid $3mn. Third on the list is superstar Hrthik Roshan, who paid $2mn followed by Aamir Khan who paid $1.3mn.
If advance tax receipts are accurate, it means that Akshay earned approximately $12mn last year, Shah Rukh Khan earned $9mn, Hrthik Roshan, $6mn and Aamir Khan, $4mn.
However, advance taxes often understate how much Bollywood stars actually pay as they are only an indication of the total income of a person. Bollywood stars have three major sources of income: (1) movies (2) endorsements (3) TV shows. And endorsements, for many, yield much more income than the movies.
Bollywood stars promote anywhere from 10 to 15 products a year and top stars make +$1mn per endorsement. Cola companies line up at the feet of Bollywood Stars with Coca-Cola and Pepsi paying top dollars for an endorsement. Not far behind, are the telecom companies who also shell out big bucks. These endorsements earn Bollywood stars more than movies.
Akshay Kumar endorses approximately 10 products at any given time. Conservatively, from his endorsements alone, Akshay makes $10mn. Add his salary from his movies, which averages $4mn per movie, and he makes an additional $12mn a year (given that he makes +3 movies a year). Finally, like many top bollywood stars, Akshay is on television. He is earning approximately $500k per episode as an anchor on the Indian version of Fear Factor. All in all, he is going to clear $20mn from the reality show for its forty episode run. That mean's Akshay's total earnings are $40mn dollars a year.
But that's not all Akshay earns in India, where Purchasing Power Parity (PPT) means that his earnings go along away. Take the standard PPT ratio of 5:1 and Akshay Kumar earns more than $200mn per year-adjusted dollars - more than any Hollywood Star.
Salman Khan and Shahrukh Khan (also known as the King of Bollywood) are the two other movie stars who are doing the Bollywood trifecta: (1) movies (2) TV and (3) endorsements. A similar analysis of Shahrukh's pay would find him earning more than $50mn (in his top years). That's how the King of Bollywood can afford to pay a reported $30mn for a new house in London.
Bollywood stars aren't showing up in the Forbes list, but they should be.
Kollywood gods’ pay packs get bigger despite slump
At a time when most employees in corporate India are happy to forego salary increases just as long as they can keep their jobs, the pay
packets of top movie stars in Tamil filmdom are something of an anachronism. In 2005, Vijay was paid Rs 3 crore for starring in the hugely successful ‘Sivakasi.’ Another blockbuster followed the next year in the form of ‘Pokkiri.’
But since then, he has hit a rough patch with consecutive box-office flops in ‘Azhagiya Tamizh Magan’ (2007), ‘Kuruvi’ (2008) and ‘Villu’ (2009). If you think the actor is due for a pay cut, you are mistaken.
The ‘Ilaya Thalapathy,’ or ‘young commander’ to followers, is said to be taking home a cool Rs 6-7 crore plus distribution rights for Chennai city for his forthcoming ‘Vettaikaran,’ produced by M Balasubramaniam and B Gurunath Meyyappan. Ajith is taking a leaf out of superstar Rajnikanth’s book.
The actor, busy shooting for ‘Asal’ in Malaysia, is said be charging Rs 5-6 crore plus a 30% share in profits from the sale of rights (including, distribution, satellite and international rights) for his next movie. In an industry where top actors are few and far between and most not compromising on the pay front, producers have to select from a handful of them at the top or settle for niche actors. They can’t do much to change the situation, but at least they can grumble about it.
The main target of their ire is the production houses run by corporates, those such as Pyramid Saimira, Ayngaran International, UTV Movies and Moser Baer. They are accused of knowing little about the local market or ruling rates and spoiling the production culture in the Tamil movie industry.
“Corporates pay much higher than current market rates to secure bulk dates from artistes and technicians, artificially pushing prices northwards,” a leading producer (whose movie is set to release in the next couple of months) told ET on condition of anonymity.
He cited movies where the leading men were paid more than a fourth of the total budget only for them to flop at the box office. Some producers are of the view that actors’ current rates are exorbitant compared to the market available for Tamil films. The Tamil film industry churns out around 110-120 movies a year with a combined budget of about Rs 500 crore.
Sales are estimated at Rs 850 crore-Rs 1,000 crore, including international markets. “Salaries are very high these days. There are hardly any repeat audiences either. This, coupled with overall increase in production costs and long production schedules adds to the producer’s burden,” says K Muralidharan of Lakshmi Movie Makers, who is also secretary of the Tamil Film Producers Council.
Although the international markets, Malaysia, Singapore, US and parts of Europe, are slowing opening up to Tamil flicks, it does not justify the amounts top artistes charge these days, said another producer. Moser Baer COO C Dhananjayan, while agreeing that artiste salaries were at times “not justified for regional films,” felt they were a function of demand and supply.
Ajith, whose profit-sharing model has been welcomed by those who believe it reduces the burden on producers, thinks that how much an actor is paid “boils down to compatibility” between the negotiating parties. Vijay was not available for comment.
The Hindi movie industry, which also saw salaries for top actors skyrocketing in the past couple of years mainly due to corporates investing huge sums of money, seems to be seeing a correction.
Akshay Kumar is said to have charged Rs 30 crore for Kambakht Ishq but other A-list actors have started taking pay cuts, those aware of the situation say.
Artiste fees, that were just 10-15% of movie budgets in 2006-07, went as high as 60% in 2008. While current salary levels for Hindi film stars are rationalising at 30-35% of the budget with further scope for correction, it remains to be seen if Tamil moviedom will go the same way.
packets of top movie stars in Tamil filmdom are something of an anachronism. In 2005, Vijay was paid Rs 3 crore for starring in the hugely successful ‘Sivakasi.’ Another blockbuster followed the next year in the form of ‘Pokkiri.’
But since then, he has hit a rough patch with consecutive box-office flops in ‘Azhagiya Tamizh Magan’ (2007), ‘Kuruvi’ (2008) and ‘Villu’ (2009). If you think the actor is due for a pay cut, you are mistaken.
The ‘Ilaya Thalapathy,’ or ‘young commander’ to followers, is said to be taking home a cool Rs 6-7 crore plus distribution rights for Chennai city for his forthcoming ‘Vettaikaran,’ produced by M Balasubramaniam and B Gurunath Meyyappan. Ajith is taking a leaf out of superstar Rajnikanth’s book.
The actor, busy shooting for ‘Asal’ in Malaysia, is said be charging Rs 5-6 crore plus a 30% share in profits from the sale of rights (including, distribution, satellite and international rights) for his next movie. In an industry where top actors are few and far between and most not compromising on the pay front, producers have to select from a handful of them at the top or settle for niche actors. They can’t do much to change the situation, but at least they can grumble about it.
The main target of their ire is the production houses run by corporates, those such as Pyramid Saimira, Ayngaran International, UTV Movies and Moser Baer. They are accused of knowing little about the local market or ruling rates and spoiling the production culture in the Tamil movie industry.
“Corporates pay much higher than current market rates to secure bulk dates from artistes and technicians, artificially pushing prices northwards,” a leading producer (whose movie is set to release in the next couple of months) told ET on condition of anonymity.
He cited movies where the leading men were paid more than a fourth of the total budget only for them to flop at the box office. Some producers are of the view that actors’ current rates are exorbitant compared to the market available for Tamil films. The Tamil film industry churns out around 110-120 movies a year with a combined budget of about Rs 500 crore.
Sales are estimated at Rs 850 crore-Rs 1,000 crore, including international markets. “Salaries are very high these days. There are hardly any repeat audiences either. This, coupled with overall increase in production costs and long production schedules adds to the producer’s burden,” says K Muralidharan of Lakshmi Movie Makers, who is also secretary of the Tamil Film Producers Council.
Although the international markets, Malaysia, Singapore, US and parts of Europe, are slowing opening up to Tamil flicks, it does not justify the amounts top artistes charge these days, said another producer. Moser Baer COO C Dhananjayan, while agreeing that artiste salaries were at times “not justified for regional films,” felt they were a function of demand and supply.
Ajith, whose profit-sharing model has been welcomed by those who believe it reduces the burden on producers, thinks that how much an actor is paid “boils down to compatibility” between the negotiating parties. Vijay was not available for comment.
The Hindi movie industry, which also saw salaries for top actors skyrocketing in the past couple of years mainly due to corporates investing huge sums of money, seems to be seeing a correction.
Akshay Kumar is said to have charged Rs 30 crore for Kambakht Ishq but other A-list actors have started taking pay cuts, those aware of the situation say.
Artiste fees, that were just 10-15% of movie budgets in 2006-07, went as high as 60% in 2008. While current salary levels for Hindi film stars are rationalising at 30-35% of the budget with further scope for correction, it remains to be seen if Tamil moviedom will go the same way.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Aishwarya, Shah Rukh ‘Actors of the Decade’
Superstars Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan were declared ‘Actors of the Decade’ at the IIFA awards here on Saturday night.
Aishwarya won two honorary awards for her work in Indian and international cinema, while Shah Rukh was honoured for his work in Bollywood.
The 35-year-old actress, who also performed on stage at the function, received both trophies while Shah Rukh missed the ceremony because he is shooting for his upcoming film ‘My Name is Khan.’
The 43-year-old actor, who began his career on the small screen, beat Aamir Khan, Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar and Abhishek Bachchan to the title.
Aishwarya won the ‘Golden Decade’ award for her memorable performances in the past 10 years, beating off competition from Rani Mukherjee, Preity Zinta, Kareena Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra.
While Aishwarya shot to global recognition with international projects like ‘Pink Panther’ and ‘Provoked,’ Khan too has a global following as the ‘Badshah of Bollywood.’
The former Miss World won the ‘Outstanding Achievement by Indian in International Cinema’ award which was bagged last year by musician A.R. Rahman who won the ‘Golden Decade of Music’ award for his contribution to Indian films.
Aishwarya won two honorary awards for her work in Indian and international cinema, while Shah Rukh was honoured for his work in Bollywood.
The 35-year-old actress, who also performed on stage at the function, received both trophies while Shah Rukh missed the ceremony because he is shooting for his upcoming film ‘My Name is Khan.’
The 43-year-old actor, who began his career on the small screen, beat Aamir Khan, Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar and Abhishek Bachchan to the title.
Aishwarya won the ‘Golden Decade’ award for her memorable performances in the past 10 years, beating off competition from Rani Mukherjee, Preity Zinta, Kareena Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra.
While Aishwarya shot to global recognition with international projects like ‘Pink Panther’ and ‘Provoked,’ Khan too has a global following as the ‘Badshah of Bollywood.’
The former Miss World won the ‘Outstanding Achievement by Indian in International Cinema’ award which was bagged last year by musician A.R. Rahman who won the ‘Golden Decade of Music’ award for his contribution to Indian films.
Bollywood blockbuster
Jodhaa Akbar, a historical epic about the romance between a Mughal king and a Hindu princess, dominated the 10th International Indian Film Academy awards on Saturday, winning six awards including best picture and best actor for heartthrob Hrithik Roshan.
Two Montreal English bands may be dropped from a bilingual St-Jean-Baptiste concert after one of the backers threatened to pull out over language issues.
The bilingual concert on June 23 in Montreal was to have showcased English bands Lake of Stew and Bloodshot Bill along with Quebec artists Malajube, Vincent Vallieres and Marie-Pierre Arthur.
Jammie Thomas-Rasset, the Minnesota woman who became America's only music file-sharing defendant so far to go to trial, is getting a replay two years after losing the case.
Thomas-Rasset will be armed with aggressive new lawyers when her retrial begins in federal court today.
Two Montreal English bands may be dropped from a bilingual St-Jean-Baptiste concert after one of the backers threatened to pull out over language issues.
The bilingual concert on June 23 in Montreal was to have showcased English bands Lake of Stew and Bloodshot Bill along with Quebec artists Malajube, Vincent Vallieres and Marie-Pierre Arthur.
Jammie Thomas-Rasset, the Minnesota woman who became America's only music file-sharing defendant so far to go to trial, is getting a replay two years after losing the case.
Thomas-Rasset will be armed with aggressive new lawyers when her retrial begins in federal court today.
Bollywood eyes China as big partner
Indian filmmakers at this year's "Bollywood Oscars" weekend in Macau are looking beyond the lucrative market of Hollywood, into what they consider to be an even more exciting partner: China.
The selection of this southern Chinese territory as host of this year's International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) underlines Bollywood's desire to work closer with its Chinese counterpart.
Sabbas Joseph, director of the event --an annual star-studded extravaganza celebrating the prolific Hindi movie industry -- said many subjects tackled by cinema appeal to both Indian and Chinese audiences because of their common values and traditions.
"I think the Hollywood-Bollywood coming together is logical. China and India coming together is the more exciting part, because we are probably the two most exciting economies in the world," he told AFP during the three-day event attended by hundreds of India's biggest stars.
"We have one third of the world's population, if together we become a combined (audience) and a combined production force, I think it will open up new markets and vistas."
Veteran Bollywood film critic Taran Adash said the collaboration was long-awaited. "The sheer thought of China and India working together gives me a high," he told AFP.
China's technology, actors, and martial arts were "way ahead" of their Indian counterparts, and many Chinese films that were dubbed into Indian languages proved to be highly popular in India, he said.
Last year, China's nationwide box office receipts hit a record 4.2 billion yuan (610 million US), up 27 percent from 2007, thanks to a growing audience of well-off young urbanites and an increase in big-ticket Chinese films.
And the trend seems to have continued into 2009 amid the economic downturn, according to the latest figures from the State Administration for Film, Television and Radio.
In the first three months of 2009, box office receipts jumped more than 50 percent to 1.25 billion yuan.
However, China-India crossover films are still in their infancy. "Chandni Chowk to China", co-produced by Bollywood veteran Ramesh Sippy and US studio Warner Bros., bombed at the box office after opening in January.
The movie, about a lowly Indian chef who is mistaken for the reincarnation of a fabled Chinese warrior, was given thumbs down by Indian viewers and critics alike, despite being the first Hindi film to be shot on location in China.
"The two cultures are similar but really not that similar," Fred Wang, chairman of Hong Kong-based production company Salon Films and a speaker at the IIFA forum on the future of the Indian and Chinese film industries, told AFP.
"To start with, China had closed its door to the West for many years, while India is a former British colony."
He said much more needed to be done in the research of storylines and urged the two governments and film groups to set up an investment fund for such a purpose.
Wang said his company, which has helped distribute many Hollywood films in Asia, is working on a movie on buddhism targeting both Chinese and Indian markets.
He said he was confident the film would fare well, given that the religion originated from India and has spread widely to China.
However, even with a good story to tell, Bollywood filmmakers have to break through the barriers of China's highly-regulated film market.
The Chinese movie industry is protected by a quota system which only allows around 20 foreign films to be screened a year, and permission for foreign companies to shoot in the country could be difficult to obtain.
"It will take maybe three failures and just one success for it to break through. There are quite a few conversations and efforts for collaboration between the two sides. We are all waiting for the big news," Joseph said.
The selection of this southern Chinese territory as host of this year's International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) underlines Bollywood's desire to work closer with its Chinese counterpart.
Sabbas Joseph, director of the event --an annual star-studded extravaganza celebrating the prolific Hindi movie industry -- said many subjects tackled by cinema appeal to both Indian and Chinese audiences because of their common values and traditions.
"I think the Hollywood-Bollywood coming together is logical. China and India coming together is the more exciting part, because we are probably the two most exciting economies in the world," he told AFP during the three-day event attended by hundreds of India's biggest stars.
"We have one third of the world's population, if together we become a combined (audience) and a combined production force, I think it will open up new markets and vistas."
Veteran Bollywood film critic Taran Adash said the collaboration was long-awaited. "The sheer thought of China and India working together gives me a high," he told AFP.
China's technology, actors, and martial arts were "way ahead" of their Indian counterparts, and many Chinese films that were dubbed into Indian languages proved to be highly popular in India, he said.
Last year, China's nationwide box office receipts hit a record 4.2 billion yuan (610 million US), up 27 percent from 2007, thanks to a growing audience of well-off young urbanites and an increase in big-ticket Chinese films.
And the trend seems to have continued into 2009 amid the economic downturn, according to the latest figures from the State Administration for Film, Television and Radio.
In the first three months of 2009, box office receipts jumped more than 50 percent to 1.25 billion yuan.
However, China-India crossover films are still in their infancy. "Chandni Chowk to China", co-produced by Bollywood veteran Ramesh Sippy and US studio Warner Bros., bombed at the box office after opening in January.
The movie, about a lowly Indian chef who is mistaken for the reincarnation of a fabled Chinese warrior, was given thumbs down by Indian viewers and critics alike, despite being the first Hindi film to be shot on location in China.
"The two cultures are similar but really not that similar," Fred Wang, chairman of Hong Kong-based production company Salon Films and a speaker at the IIFA forum on the future of the Indian and Chinese film industries, told AFP.
"To start with, China had closed its door to the West for many years, while India is a former British colony."
He said much more needed to be done in the research of storylines and urged the two governments and film groups to set up an investment fund for such a purpose.
Wang said his company, which has helped distribute many Hollywood films in Asia, is working on a movie on buddhism targeting both Chinese and Indian markets.
He said he was confident the film would fare well, given that the religion originated from India and has spread widely to China.
However, even with a good story to tell, Bollywood filmmakers have to break through the barriers of China's highly-regulated film market.
The Chinese movie industry is protected by a quota system which only allows around 20 foreign films to be screened a year, and permission for foreign companies to shoot in the country could be difficult to obtain.
"It will take maybe three failures and just one success for it to break through. There are quite a few conversations and efforts for collaboration between the two sides. We are all waiting for the big news," Joseph said.
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