|
Ireland bids for red-carpet Bollywood event
 Forget about
Hollywood, Ireland is hoping to make a song and dance in the movie world
by hosting the next Bollywood Oscars.
Four countries, including Switzerland, Egypt and the US, are currently
competing to host the top Indian cinema awards next year.
But film fans are hoping movie bosses will chose the Emerald Isle for
the glitzy affair.
Promoters are now finalising a submission which is due mid-September,
that they hope will bring the event to Dublin.
It is thought that Ireland’s geographical location may help land
the deal.
About four million Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis and Sri Lankans now
live in Britain and PK Sharma, the British representative of Wizcraft,
the events management company that runs the awards, said the organisers
were keen to capitalise on what the country can offer.
“We were looking at scheduling the event at the end of May in
Ireland because it’s a bank holiday in Britain and we would easily
get 5,000 to 6,000 flying-over from Britain.”
“We also take all the producers and directors who come over on
a familiarisation tour to show them the country.”
“Ireland could easily be used as a film location bringing in millions
of euro.”
“What Ireland has to offer, that a lot of places don’t,
is the heritage that has been retained in buildings and in scenery.”
Business development consultant Bernice Paolozzi, who is co-ordinating
the bid, said the three-day extravaganza would be one of the highlights
of the social calendar.
The Bollywood Oscars, which is bigger than its Hollywood counterpart,
usually attracts the biggest stars in the industry and about 2,000 guests
would be expected to travel from India for the televised event.
The only obstacle left to the staging of the event in Ireland is that,
with the Point Theatre under renovation, no alternative indoor venue has
yet been found. |
