Bollywood set to bail out cash strapped British film industry

London, Oct 23 : UK Film minister Barbara Follett has signed a bilateral co-production treaty with Bollywood.

Follett met Bollywood actor Ajay Devgan and filmmaker Vipul Shah and declared the launch of the treaty, according to which Indian producers will have easy access to tax breaks, fresh funding sources and practical support.

As far as UK is concerned, the deal will help the British movie industry withstand the economic downturn, thus the deal will benefit both the nations.

"The wider your base, in an economically difficult time, the more resilient you'll be," BBC quoted Follett, as saying.

Shah, who shot his flick 'Namaste London' in UK, has taken over Trafalgar Square to make new film London Dreams starring Devgan and Asin.

"I think that more films will be made in London, primarily for Indian markets, working with crews in their own cities is a great thing. They know the systems, how the shoots function in that particular city, how to get permissions, how to move things. It's always very important," Vipul said.

Devgan stated the demands of a global market were having an effect on Indian films.

"I guess they are changing to adapt to the audience. We're just trying to cater for them, all kinds of films are being made - there are films that have been adapted for the global market and are doing very well," Ajay said.

The UK minister stated the UK industry offered "an excellent product" and the deal would help "maintain excellence".

ANI