The Film
Welcome to a world of glamour, controversies, and choreography.
When most people think about Australia, they picture massive sandy beaches, singlet-clad locals drinking
beers,
and kangaroos bounding through the dusty red outback. Saris, musical numbers, and masala are far from anyone’s
mind – unless of course, you’re one of the millions of Bollywood fans from around the world.
In the late 1990’s, the outrageous, colourful, and musical Bollywood crews first descended on the dusty, red,
Australian landscapes and fascinated locals around the country. More than just novel new entertainment,
Bollywood
brought serious money to Australian shores, and the industry quickly became a darling of the tourism, trade,
and
educational bodies. Beneath the glitz and glamour is a roller coaster tale of previously aloof politicians
bending
over backward in an attempt to lure the industry to Australia – from announcing considerable film subsidies to
performing cameos in dance sequences.
Brought to you by a cross cultural production house, which is widely credited as a major influence on the
growth of ties
between
the Australian and Indian film industries, this feature length documentary provides a rare insider’s view of
the
brass, arse, and farce of Bollywood’s inner workings on a global scale.
The film is a celebration of Bollywood cinema and its expansion as a global entertainment giant. In a
sometimes hilarious clash of filmmaking cultures, we explore the successes and failures of Bollywood’s rise as
a
serious subculture in Australia, and around the world.
See past the myths and legends that surround the industry and witness the Bollywood reality –something far
more
entertaining than any fictional tale.
A Film is a celluloid time machine. Our documentary uses this machine to travel from 1897 through to 2023.
In the late 1990’s, the outrageous, colourful, and musical Bollywood crews first descended on the dusty, red, Australian landscapes and fascinated locals around the country. Some of the biggest Indian film stars were exposing the beauty of Australian locations, education institutes, and tourism spots to billions of Indians . More than just novel new entertainment, Bollywood brought serious money to Australian shores, and the industry quickly became a darling of the tourism, trade, and educational bodies. The glitz, glamour and wall to wall media created a Bollywood bandwagon in Australia, a niche industry which was being used and sadly was beginning to be misused. Then everything came to a screeching halt!
What happened? How did the relations come back on track? What is the future?
For the first time a high end diverse Australian feature documentary answers the above and narrates the tale of a roller coaster journey of 89 years of Australian links with Indian cinema in a musical, entertaining, humorous, colourful way.
This film is a celebration of Bollywood cinema and its expansion as a global entertainment giant. In a sometimes hilarious clash of filmmaking cultures, we explore the successes and failures of Bollywood’s rise as a serious subculture in Australia, and around the world.
Brought to you by a cross cultural production house, which is widely credited as a major influence on the birth and growth of Australia India film links, this feature length documentary provides a rare insider’s view of the brass, arse, and farce of Bollywood on a global stage and in Australia.
See past the myths and legends that surround the industry and witness the Bollywood reality –something far more entertaining than any fictional tale
Sincere and Heartfelt thanks to
Aamir Khan Productions Private Limited
ABC
AP Archive
Aquarius Films
Baweja Movies
BFI National Archive
Cape of Good Films
Cricket Australia
Emkay Films
Essential Media & Entertainment
Excel Entertainment
Film Division India
Film Kraft
Getty Images
Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment
NFSA
NH Studios
Pivot Pictures
Pramod Films
Red Chillies Entertainment
See-Saw Films
Seven Network
Shutterstock
Shemaroo
Sri Surya Movies
Shakti Films
Sunshine Pictures
The Footage Company / Nine Network Australia
Tourism Australia
WTFN