Bollywood delegation visits Netherlands

Filmmaker Rahul Dholakia is part of a 15-member delegation that visited Netherlands from October 11 to 15 for the Dutch Media and Entertainment Programme India.

It has been developed by a business cluster comprising 15 Dutch companies along with the countrys Ministry of Economic Affairs. This is the first time ever that a delegation from India is making a collective visit to the Netherlands. Directors Prabhakar Shukla,Nielesh Malhotra and Prakash Sharma,several television commercial and production companies like Oasis Television and Purple Aquarium Studios are also a part of this delegation.

The programme aims to build a a permanent hub and collaboration between the Netherlands and India.

As part of it,the members will get in touch with their Dutch creative counterparts,see exotic shooting locations and also visit unique aspects of the Dutch creative sector like the Creative Factory in Rotterdam,the Endemol Studios in Amsterdam,Little India Area in The Hague and The Gardens and botanic beauty of Mondo Verde in South Limburg.

The Trade Mission will be closed with the launch of the Hindi Radio Station FunX Desi,which is a part of the most popular youth Radio Station in the Netherlands FunX.

Dholakia,whose last release was Lamhaa,is upbeat about the visit. He says,This programme will give us a good idea about what is happening in the Dutch entertainment and gaming industry. It will help us explore this beautiful country,where we can also scout for shooting locations. It will give us an opportunity to understand the different technicalities and open up a whole new market for Indian films. Im also looking to distribute my film Parzania in this market.

The filmmaker,who is known for tackling serious subjects,is now focussing on directing a childrens movie titled Public. He says,Right now,Im writing the script. It will be a lighthearted entertainment film. I want to shoot it in foreign locales and aim to release it next year. So after the visit to the Netherlands,I will also travel to the United States and other European countries to scout for locations.

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According to Inge Horstmeier from the Ministry of Economic Affairs,this event will facilitate trade exchange and interaction between the two countries. She says,In 2010,we had gone to Mumbai to visit the FICCI FRAMES with over 40 companies from Netherlands. We wanted this programme to be personal and intimate,so we decided on a limit of 15 delegates. However,within our Dutch Media Entertainment India (ME-India) programme,there will be more opportunities for companies and people to interact in the future. We hope to build structural business relations between India and Netherlands.