Bollywood feels pinch of rupee crunch

Spending on movie sets abroad have dropped by one third.

Parts of 2012's Dabangg 2, starring Salman Khan and Sonakshi Sinha, were shot in Dubai. Courtesy Arbaaz Khan Productions

The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham) says that the amount spent on Bollywood movies outside of India in the past four months has declined by 30 to 35 per cent compared with the previous four-month period.

The Indian rupee has fallen 20 per cent since May, leading some filmmakers to prefer to stay and make movies in picturesque domestic locations such as the states of Kashmir in the north and Kerala in the south.

Assocham surveyed nearly 50 directors. Those still filming abroad, especially for mid- to low-budget movies, are looking for alternatives to Europe and the US such as Dubai, Sri Lanka and Thailand. The late filmmaker Yash Chopra was especially keen on a Swiss mountain backdrop, which turned Switzerland into a popular tourist destination for well-heeled Indians. – AFP

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