Bollywood is one of the biggest USP for brand India and in order to boost Indo-Thailand economic and people-to-people cooperation, Harsh Shringla, the Indian envoy to Thailand, is making pro-active efforts.
Some of the top names in Bollywood – producers and directors – who were in Bangkok on July 25, were invited to meet their counterparts in Thai cinema to examine joint production of films and cross pollination of actors in cinemas of both the countries.
The initiative was taken by Indian Ambassador to Thailand Harsh V Shringla with prominent Thai-Indian producer of Hollywood films, Kulthep Narula of Benetone Films.
The initiative was a logical outcome of increasing popularity of Thailand as a destination for shooting of Indian films (Bollywood, Tollywood and all the others) with as many as 150 shot last year alone, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand.
Some Thai Actors (Pinky and Ann Mitchai) have also acted in Indian films. Indian films dubbed or subtitled in Thai are increasingly popular in Thailand.
The Indian Embassy has facilitated this process by hosting some notable first shows of Indian films for prominent Thais and Indians in Bangkok.