An Iraqi welcome for Bollywood
Abhay Deol's maiden production venture will be the first Bollywood movie to be shot in the war-torn land.
The war-torn country of Iraq that was for years engaged in a bloody battle with the US is finally opening its doors to world cinema.
The country has given a green signal to shoot the first commercial movie on its land and Bollywood has grasped the offer with both hands.
Abhay Deol’s first production venture Basra, which sees him as an action hero supported by Nikhil Dwevedi and others, will be shot in Iraq. For obvious reasons, the Iraqi police and military personnel will provide heavy security to the cast and crew.
Directed by Navdeep Singh, who made Manorama Six Feet Under earlier, the film is a thriller on human trafficking and the drug racket. A source says, “This will be the first Bollywood film to be shot in Iraq. In fact, this is the first feature film to be shot there post the war with the US. Everybody in the team is excited. We will shoot a few scenes in India too.”
A source says, “Permissions have been taken from Iraqi authorities and they would be providing us a lot of security. About 20 military personnel will guard the sets. The production team was a bit apprehensive about going to Iraq because kidnapping and acts of violence are rampant there. But the cast members were eager to shoot in Iraq.”