Northwest Vision and Media, create the bigger picture
Mr Bhatti On Chutti production
BOLLYWOOD COMES TO CUMBRIA
CUMBRIA has been chosen to play a starring role in the multi-billion-pound Bollywood film industry, with what is hoped to be the first in a long line of Indian films currently being shot on location across the Lakes.
Tipped as the latest Bollywood blockbuster, Mr Bhatti on Chutti, which translates as Mr Bhatti on Holiday started shooting in the Lake District on September 7 and is due to wrap by the end of the month.
For production company, Tulip Films Ltd, this is their first venture to the Northwest, with producers Ashwani Chopra and Gian Kharaud delighted with the reception the 35-strong cast and crew have received.
“The support we’ve received from Northwest Vision and Media, together with Cumbria Tourism, and everyone else we’ve dealt with, has been tremendous,” says Ashwani, one of the UK’s most experienced line producers, having made over 40 films across Europe.
Mr Bhatti’s highly-acclaimed cast list includes award-winning actors Anupam Kher (Bend it like Beckham, Bride and Prejudice), Shakti Kooper, Pawan Shankar, Neha Phense and Bhairavi Goswami, together with a couple of renowned Pakistani actors, Abid Ali and Moin Akhtar, and Australian Emma Kearney. The second assistant director, Vikrant Chopra, is also from the UK, one of the first UK-based assistant directors to have worked in Bollywood. The location manager, Sue Bellarby is local to the Lake District and has worked on projects such as Miss Potter and Across the Universe. The film has also enlisted the skills of six new filmmakers from Cumbria and across the Northwest.
Rafiq Master of Blackburn, Shenaz Khan of Rochdale, Shaheen Kauser of Oldham, Jim Edgar of Grayrigg, Cumbria, Jennifer Urwin of Workington, Cumbria and Shai Hussain of Bolton have all undergone a crash-course in Bollywood filmmaking.
With roles ranging from camera to costume, runner to locations assistant, the six Northwest trainees have literally lived-and-breathed the Bollywood way of life for the last two weeks.
“For some it’s been a baptism of fire, but without exception everyone agrees it’s been a unique and fascinating experience,” says Claire Hoang, Diversity Officer for Northwest Vision and Media, which works on behalf of the TV, film, radio and digital content industries, and which organised the training opportunity.
Bollywood originates from the Mumbai-based Hindi language film industry in India and is the largest film industry in the world, churning out over 800 movies a year. Films are always shot on a tight budget and schedule, and outside India the UK is the biggest market for Hindi films, with two million tickets sold at the box office last year.
Indeed, although Bollywood has long been the mainstay of the Indian film market, increasingly it is now being aimed at an international audience.
It already commands a £5 billion industry, but this is widely expected to increase to £25 billion by 2015. And that’s why Northwest Vision and Media wants to bring even more Bollywood production to the region.
“When an Indian crew come into the region to film, the repercussions can be enormous,” explains Mags Scholes, Cumbria Film Officer for Vision and Media.
“Not only does local trade and retail benefit, with hotel rooms booked and restaurants filled, but once the film is released it can contribute to cultural tourism, with fans keen to visit the locations seen on screen.”
Ian Stephens, Chief Executive of Cumbria Tourism, says he’s delighted to have helped attract global filmmakers to the county. “Mr Bhatti On Holiday will profile the inspiring landscape of the Lake District to an estimated audience of 30 million people, as well as to many more second generation families living throughout England and the Northwest,” he says.
“I’m sure many of those who watch the film will want to visit the stunning locations featured in it."
Although Mr Bhatti on Chutti will leave the region at the end of the month, plans are currently being drawn up to bring other Bollywood productions to the region. “Our involvement in this production was always seen as trial project, in terms of how it would benefit the region as a whole,” explains Mags.
“Although perhaps it’s too early to say for certain that this will be the first of many Indian productions to come to Cumbria and the broader Northwest, initial reactions, and the reception the crew received from local residents, are all extremely positive,” she adds.
Film Synopsis: Mr Bhatti on Chutti
Mr Bhatti is a delusional character who wins a trip to the Lake District out of the blue, he comes over, with a group of Indian tourists visiting the Lake District. Bhatti is under the impression that he has been called over by George W.Bush, for supposed ‘peace talks’ being the delusional man he is. But it’s not just the scenery and the possible meeting with Bush, which attracts Bhatti’s interest. Alice an English girl also catches his eye.
Alice has spent six months in India and is into meditation, bhajans and yoga. Perfect!
But although Bhatti is immediately fascinated with Alice, so too is Prem, an eligible bachelor, also travelling with the group.
Bhatti knows that Prem isn’t a nice guy, so he’s determined to protect Alice in every way he can. This leads to a meditative war between Bhatti and Prem. Alice pays more attention to the older man, Bhatti, however Prem is determined to win over Alice with the help of Priya. Priya is the daughter of one of the touring couple the Shah’s, and when Prem realises he has lost the fight for Alice, he also comes to the realisation that his pursuit for Alice has brought upon feelings for his ‘partner in crime’ Priya. Alice mysteriously disappears one day and a full blown investigation takes place.
The hunt for Alice leads the police (one of Indian origin, the other from Cumbria) to a remote part of Lake Windermere. Here they find Alice's clothes, jewellery - and some blood-stains.
Bhatti and Prem are the chief suspects, they’re arrested
and a series of routine checks are made on each of them. And
that’s when Bhatti’s terrible secret is discovered -
he’s a terrorist , wanted by police worldwide. Or is
he?
Abu Siddique has been underground for a long time, so the police
decide to use Bhatti as a decoy, confident the real Abu will
surface as a result. This creates a hilarious comedy of errors,
which ends with heroic Bhatti helping to prevent a huge
catastrophe, with the aid of the tourist group - and getting the
real Abu Siddique caught as a result.
