Anupam Sharma’s Documentary “Brand Bollywood – down under” is an eye-opening commentary on Hindi Cinema’s global soft power, which changed the relationship between Australia and India.

The trailer launched in Cannes.

Trailer link : https://youtu.be/bdG-X4fWi4k
Tuesday, May 23, 2023

Anupam Sharma’s Australian feature documentary “Brand Bollywood – down under” on the extraordinary journey of Hindi Cinema or Bollywood, as it is popularly called, and its remarkable role in shaping India’s perception in Australia, is ready for a theatrical release in Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji later in 3rd quarter of this year.

India and other countries will see a theatrical season following a festival run, particularly in India, the USA, and the UK.
Brand Bollywood – down under’s trailer was launched at the Cannes Market, days after a popular session on Australia-India co-production at the India Pavillion.

The trailer is a sneak peek into the relationship between India, Australia, and Brand Bollywood. The documentary takes a deep dive into the enormous and evolving role played by Bollywood in India’s Perception internationally and bringing the
international world into India.

Describing the documentary and the need for it, director Anupam Sharma said, “Bollywood is India’s tremendous soft power and is India’s ambassador to the world, just like Ayurveda, Yoga, spirituality, cricket, Indian Doctors and IT industry.” He adds, “I have personally seen the role the Indian film industry has played in creating new horizons for Indians and India in Australia and deeply felt that this a story that needed to be told and documented not just for Indians but for the world!”
Anupam Kher, widely featured in the documentary, said, “It is a delight to be part of Anupam’s international documentary on Popular Hindi Cinema targeted at Indian audiences celebrating our cinema and Western audience who are still learning about our film culture. Over the years, I have come to share a wonderful association with Australia. So seeing an Australian feature film with government support on India’s popular cinema is heartening, particularly as Australia and India finalize a film co-production treaty.

I look forward to acting in more Australian Indian films as the experience in Hotel Mumbai was gratifying.” Utilizing behind-the-scenes and making-off clips of major Bollywood films shot in Australia since Dil Chahta Hai and featuring some of the most picturesque locations in Australia, the documentary features some of the prominent Indian film industry
bigwigs, as well as the Australian govt, trade, and tourism representatives, to analyze the Bollywood journey in Australia.

On having some of the leading film industry giving their perspective, Anupam Sharma said, “Having been lucky to have worked with most of the top Indian production houses in Australia, I was truly grateful to the Indian film industry, which went out of its way to support this documentary generously with their time and footage from their films and the behind the scenes.”

Flamboyant Producer Feroz Khan was the first Indian to script Australia in a film and shoot in Australia. In the documentary, his son Fardeen has spoken at length about the experience of shooting an Indian film in Australia. Regarding the documentary, Fardeen Khan said, “In context to my film career Australia will always hold a special place as a major portion of my first film was shot there. My producer, director, and father, Feroz Khan, instantly loved the country’s beauty and was inspired to capture it on celluloid. Being part of this project was a pleasure, and I recall many first-time
memories. Anupam, sending you my best wishes for the project and looking forward to seeing it.”

The mammoth task of sifting through the vast footage and putting it all together coherently was that of the editor ASE Karin Steininger, who was part of the Oscar and Emmy-winning film Anne Frank Remembered. Karin said, “We went behind the
scenes of some of the biggest Indian movies shot on our shores and explored bust-ups and misunderstandings of a love affair. As a non-Indian, I know next to nothing about Indian culture, and what I love about this project is it is an opportunity
to know more, to fall in love with Indian filmmaking, to understand the stories and characters, and why there are so many song and dance routines in Bollywood movies.

This film opens a window into a very rich and fascinating world.” Sharma has produced the film alongside Claire Haywood (The Pink House) and Deepti Sachdeva (The Run), and executive producers Lisa Duff (UnINDIAN) and Janine Barnes
(Downriver).

Anupam was one of the first Indian-born Australian film graduates in Sydney and did his Masters in films along with a thesis on Indian cinema. A chance meeting with Feroz Khan leads him to manage and produce Bollywood films in Australia, along with Indian TV Commercials, Music Videos, and TV Series. Based out of Fox Studios, Anupam and his team are widely credited for pioneering Australia-India film links since March 1998.

He is the Chair of the Australia India Film Council, a member of the Inclusive and Diversity Task Force of Screen Queensland, and nominated as an Australia Day Ambassador for his work promoting film links between Australia and new markets.

Anupam Sharma’s Films & Casting TEMPLE is an award-winning boutique film production and consultancy firm based out of Fox Studios – Sydney. Now in its 24th year of operation, TEMPLE has produced some of Australia and India’s biggest feature films and TV commercials. After being part of over 300 screen projects between Australia and India, TEMPLE has a slate of India Centric Australian features in various stages of production and development.