Panaji (Goa) [India], November 23 : Sydney-based filmmaker Anupam Sharma, known for his contributions to Indo-Australian cinematic collaborations, shared insights about the evolving partnership between the two countries at the 55th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Panjim, Goa.
While speaking to ANI, Sharma reminisced about his journey with Indian cinema in Australia, where he spoke about projects like Hotel Mumbai which marked a shift from mere location servicing to deeper collaborations. He fondly mentioned Anupam Kher, calling him a "guru" as he recalled their shared history of filming in Australia since 1998.
"Big films like 'Dil Chahta Hai' and Hey Baby, which have come to Australia to shoot, such big films are again looking to come to Australia to shoot, but with bigger crews from Australia, so they can avail the co-production. They're looking at hiring a choreographer or, more cast from there or a DOP from there," he said.
"Because the more they hire, the more benefits they get. So Australia has explored locations from 1998 to 2010. 'Dil Chahta Hai', 'Hey Baby', 'Salaam Namaste', etc. And TV commercials, whether it's Virat Kohli's Pepsi commercial or Audi's. So there are around 150-200 projects," he added.
"And after that, the film producers and directors who were involved in this servicing, they shifted gears a bit. And rather than servicing India, we started collaborating with them. while using these locations, we used a better crew from both sides. We didn't just shoot Bollywood films. Films started with Lion, Un-Indian, Hotel Mumbai. And that's when we got to know about the co-production and the treaty," he added.
"I shook hands with Anupam Kher today, something which I've done for the last 28 years. He's been my guru. He's one of the first major actors who shot in Australia in 1998," he further said.
Meanwhile, IFFI 2024, which began on November 20, showcasing over 180 international films from 81 countries, including 16 world premieres, 3 international premieres, 43 Asian premieres, and 109 Indian premieres.
Notably, the organisers have also included a tribute programme to honour the 100th birth anniversaries of four Indian cinema legends: actor-filmmaker Raj Kapoor, director Tapan Sinha, Telugu cinema star Akkineni Nageswara Rao (ANR), and singer Mohammed Rafi, as per Variety.
The 55th edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) is being held in Goa and will run until November 28.
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