Western producers and stars trooping in to Bollywood: Report

London, July 05: As Hollywood is fighting off a deep recession, more and more western producers and stars are trooping in to Bollywood film industry which is booming.Akshay Kumar-starer `Kambakkht Ishq`, is the latest example in which Hollywood`s leading stars have appeared alongside their Indian counterparts.

Filmed at Universal Studios in Los Angeles and starring Sylvester Stallone and Denise Richards, `Kambakkht Ishq` is an example of the growing desire among western actors, companies and financiers for a piece of India`s multi-billion pound entertainment industry, `The Observer` reported on Sunday. For Akshay, who has worked in over 100 films to date, collaborations between the film industries of the west and the east are set to accelerate. "I presume they must be seeing what is happening in India. It (Bollywood) has grown a lot and it has the capacity and capability to grow much more. "If this collaboration works, then things will start moving towards Hollywood and Bollywood coming together again and again," the actor said. Indian film industry, which has around 3.6 billion fans across the world, employs more than 6 million people. More than 70,000 Indian films have been produced since the advent of talkies in 1931. And, Bollywood films contribute over 200 million pounds to the UK`s economy each year, the report said.Akshay has got his next collaboration with Hollywood singer Kylie Minougue for his film `Blue`. The singer has recorded songs for the movie, including its title track, all composed by Oscar award winner AR Rahman. India`s entertainment and media market was worth 15 billion dollars in 2008 and it is expected to grow at an annual rate of 10.7 percent to more than 25 billion dollars by 2013, the paper said. Last year Disney took a 32 per cent stake in the Indian media company UMP, and George Soros spent 100 million dollars on a 3 per cent stake in Reliance Entertainment. The Indian entertainment group Eros International already has two joint ventures -- one with Lionsgate and another with Sony Entertainment -- that will see the two companies develop, produce and distribute Hindi films. The report quoted Kishore Lulla, chairman of Eros, saying the "cross-pollination" of Bollywood and Hollywood was inevitable. "India`s entertainment industry is growing rapidly and it will soon be a powerhouse. In a couple of years a Bollywood film might take 50 million dollars at the Box Office in India alone," he said. Lulla, whose company has co-produced Akshay`s latest film, said collaborations worked best when the script allowed Hollywood actors to appear without taking major roles. "Audiences across the globe want to see something different in this world of recession. People want escapism, and Bollywood movies give them that," he said.Lulla said, "`Kambakkht Ishq` is just the start. A lot of companies have already approached us. They are very interested in Bollywood. I think `Slumdog Millionaire` was a huge part of that." For Akshay, it is an opportunity to meet one of his greatest heroes. Remembering his days as a waiter in Thailand, the actor said, "I used to have a small cupboard on which I had a poster of Stallone and one of Sridevi. I am so fortunate in life that I have had the opportunity not just to shake their hands but to work with them both". During his acting career Akshay Kumar has hauled himself on to a moving plane, clung to it in mid-air and then jumped aboard a hot-air-balloon, swum with 40 sharks and leapt from building to building without any safety devices. Akshay Kumar admitted he was "terrified" by the stunt in which he leapt from a plane in mid-air. More recently, when filming `Blue`, Akshay Kumar was diving close to a shipwreck at a depth of 120ft when his head hit something sharp and started to bleed. "There were 35 to 40 sharks there," he said. "I kept watching them trying to bait the sharks away. From that depth you are supposed to bring someone up in four or five minutes, but they got me up to 12 seconds because it was so dangerous," Akshay said. Akshay Kumar said it was a pleasure to work with Kylie Minogue on the film. "I like the way she adapted herself to Bollywood," he said. "She is such a huge star - loved by everyone. But she came there and she did exactly what she was told by the director. If she was asked to turn up at 7 am in full make-up, then at 6.45 am she was there, ready, on set," he added. He described Snoop Dogg, with whom he worked in the film `Singh is Kinng`, as a legend. "He`s so chilled and laid-back, a complete family guy. He even brought his uncle to cook chicken for absolutely everyone on set." kshay, who used to be a martial arts teacher, said he is keen to work with his another favourite hero Jackie Chan. Bureau Report