French trying to attract Bollywood

• 10 producers to go on a sponsored tour of France
• Measures initiated to tap commercial promotion of French cinema
• Indian producers to get tax exemption, free transportation and accommodation
• Bid to release French films in India commercially

The French are wooing Bollywood in a big way and have, at the same time, initiated steps to tap the huge potential for commercial promotion of their cinema in India.

As part of efforts to forge a deeper relationship with India in the field of cinema, the French Government has decided to sponsor a tour of 10 producers, mostly from Bollywood and centres of other Indian languages, to theme locations in France soon after the Cannes festival. Veteran filmmakers, Yash Chopra and Bobby Bedi, would be part of the delegation that would visit Ile-de-France (Paris region), Lyon, Poitiers and other places.

"We are trying to attract Indian film producers to shoot in France and have already taken certain measures", Mohamed Bendjebbour, Audiovisual attache (Film & TV Department), French Embassy in India, told The Hindu on Thursday. As a result of the measures, Shah Rukh Khan would be travelling to Paris next week for a three-day shooting of "Don," being directed by Farhan Akthar.

The measures include giving tax exemption for all expenses of producers, free transportation and accommodation in some regions. The French Government also agreed to allow cooks of Indian film crews to use kitchens in Accor group of hotels across France.

One of the major advantages of shooting in France was that one could travel in less than an hour from the Alps to the Eiffel Tower.