NEW DELHI: It has earned her a cool $140,000) a day, but the producers of the forthcoming Bollywood movie “Blue” obviously thought she was worth every penny. Kylie Minogue, the neighbor next door turned internationally feted chanteuse, is just the latest in a growing number of Western stars to have been lured to Bollywood by the promise of a healthy paycheck, exposure to a large and enthusiastic new audience and a dash of excitement from the world’s largest movie industry.
“I think the experience has been intense,” she said at a recent press conference in Mumbai, where she had spent eight days filming two song scenes. “Many things I have done before, particularly making music videos, but in Bollywood, with that many people in a studio and the pace at which they work ... it was a totally new experience. The fact that I have been invited to come and work in a Bollywood movie surely must be saying something about the feeling in the industry.”
The Australian singer’s link-up with Indian star Akshay Kumar in what is likely to be Bollywood’s most expensive film to date — though still a snip by Hollywood standards at $28 million — is just one example of the increasing cross-fertilization between East and West.
Sylvester Stallone, the gnarled, mumbling legend of “Rocky” and “Rambo,” and Brandon Routh, the sleek star of “Superman Returns,” have recently filmed parts in another forthcoming Bollywood flick, “Kambakht Ishq,” in which one-time Bond girl Denise Richards also features. Meanwhile, Barbara Mori, the fast-rising Uruguayan-Mexican actress is to feature in another forthcoming Bollywood film, “Kites.”
“Kylie is not only a world famous fabulous singer/performer/actress and icon, a man like me would do anything to have the opportunity to work with such class,” Akshay told The Independent.
“We needed a song number that would blow people’s minds, for this isn’t a typical Bollywood film, where there is a song for every occasion. So this one needed to take our movie to another level.”
He added: “Any actor from any country is always able to bring something new to the table, especially if there’s culture or talent concerned. With me there is always a reason as to who and why we choose such international stars for certain projects. We don’t just need a famous face; we need a connection. What’s great is the world has become very open to adventure now. But now that Indian cinema caters to the world over, it’s not just about entertaining or beloved home-grown Indians.”
And it is not entirely one-way traffic. In an example of how Indian talent is slowly making its presence felt in Hollywood, the movie world is awash with gossip that Freida Pinto, the heroine of Oscar-winning “Slumdog Millionaire,” is being lined up to star alongside Daniel Craig as the next Bond girl. Apparently Pinto has been invited to take part in a screen test in the search for the next in a long line of glamorous women for 007.
