Ireland woos Bollywood

2006-01-18 14:07

Bangalore - Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern may have just given his arts minister a new job: minister for Bollywood.

John O'Donoghue seemed to love the new title on Tuesday as he invited producers of the world's most prolific film industry to shoot in Ireland.

Ahern, who is on a weeklong trade mission to India, was asked by reporters about his government's interest in Bollywood. The prime minister jokingly said: "I would ask my minister for Bollywood to answer," and pointed to O'Donoghue.

"I know Bollywood is attracted to exotic locations and we have some of the best locations to offer," said O'Donoghue. "We are looking for Bollywood producers to shoot in our country."

Ireland, he said, would ease procedures for Indian producers to visit Ireland and schedule their film shoots. He said the government would also encourage the film industries from both countries to work together on projects.

A team from Ahern's 85-member business delegation will hold talks with Indian producers in Bombay this week, he said.

Bollywood is the world's most prolific movie industry, churning out hundreds of Hindi musicals each year which are watched by hundreds of millions of people across the world.

Song and dance sequences are often shot in foreign locales.

- AP