Bollywood producer eyes Fiji locations

A top Bollywood producer from India is in discussions with the Fiji Audio Visual Commission (FAVC) on the possibility of shooting segments of a Hindi film in Fiji later this year.

FAVC chairperson Sharon Smith-Johns said two Hindi films would be made in Australia later this year.

She said the producer of these films was now in active discussions with the FAVC to shoot one song and dance segment for each of the movies in Fiji.

She said the producer would visit Fiji in the early part of May to scout for locations and meet officials.

FAVC public relations manager Florence Swammy said the producer would be travelling to Fiji with two renowned Bollywood directors who would decide on the locations for the shoot.

She would not reveal the names of the directors but said they were known for directing films n the thriller and action genres.

“The Bollywood productions are great news for us because the production will be bringing an impressive line-up of Indian stars and crew to Fiji. They will be hiring local crew, locals will be employed as extras and they will be utilising film industry-related support services available in Fiji,” Smith-Johns said.

To attract more productions from Bollywood, she said the FAVC had set up a Bollywood committee comprising local business people with links to Bollywood.

“The Committee is developing a series of promotional activities that will be undertaken in Bollywood later this year,” she said.