B'wood bind for India, China

An Indian IT engineer and a Chinese chemist are the protagonists of  Gold Struck, the first ever India-China joint film venture which the producers promise will dispel mutual stereotypes of the "geeky Indian nerd" and the "aggressive" Chinese.

The action comedy about Chinese chemist Tommy and Indian IT buff Sanjay who team up to turn bronze into gold, has the backing of the Chinese government's official film production company and is expected to star leading actors from both countries.

The home-made "Bollywood" film has a budget of USD 10 million and will reflect the "love-hate" relationship of India and China, said Cindy Shyu, producer of  Gold Struck.

"China and India have a lot in common, though they compete in almost every field. The two characters are like the two countries. They may have some misunderstandings, but they cannot risk losing each other and their cooperation helps create a better world," Shyu told the official media here.

Regular practitioner of both Chinese Tai Chi and Yoga, Shyu, the CEO of Light House Productions, said that the film will dispel stereotypes like "aggressive" Chinese competitors and "geeky Indian nerds".

The film's story was written by Shyu, with a team of Indian writers and she plans to rope in top Bollywood stars to act in it.

The film project is backed by China Film Group Corporation, an official Chinese Government Company, denoting the official patronage to the film and its theme.

The first India-China film venture comes in the wake of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao to New Delhi on a mission to iron out differences relating to a host of issues involving the two emerging Asian giants.

The film which will be released in English, Chinese and Hindi, is expected to start in September 2011.

The China Film Group will join Shyu's Hong Kong-based Light House Productions and India's Eros International in producing the film and distributing it globally.

Indian films and film stars, especially Raj Kapoor were popular in China in the 1960s and the song of  Aawara hoon still lingers on the lips of many old generation Chinese.

Officially China permits about 20 foreign films to be screened every year and occasionally an Indian film gets the nod. If successful Gold Struck may open up a prospects of India-China joint film production to rival Hollywood as both were plush with money, market and talent.


(PTI)