Cannes 2022: Indo-Australian film announced after govt's incentive for shooting in India

Information & Brocasting Minister Anurag Thakur, who walked Cannes Film Festival with an 11-member Indian delegation, h announced incentives for foreign films shot in country. steps were initiated to make India a global content hub. Soon after announcement of incentives, an Australian film is all set to make use of benefit.

Australian film Laugh of Lakshmi, by renowned ater director-turned-filmmaker S. Shakthidharan, will begin shooting in India in early 2023. project, which was announced at Cannes Film Festival on May 19, will be an India-Australia joint venture, helmed by S Shakthidharan, an Australian with Sri Lankan and Tamil ancestry. 

Australian film  Laugh of Lakshmi to begin shoot in India

During opening ceremony of India Pavillion at 75th Cannes festival, Anurag Thakur announced incentive scheme for audio-visual co-production and shooting of foreign films in India with a cash incentive of up to 30% and a cap of $2,60,000. He h also announced incentives to boost local employment.

Now, post newly-introduced scheme, Australian film is set to begin shooting in country. According to Variety, film is a dance drama with plotline revolving around story of a mor and a son separated by war in Sri Lanka. mor, a celebrated classical dancer, sends her young son, also a brilliant dancer, to care of her bror in Sydney.

Rakasree Basu, CEO of Frames Per Second Films, Mumbai, said that Laugh of Lakshmi would be ir first venture with Australia, and would be produced by John Maynard at Felix Media in Australia. movie will be shot in Tamil Nu and Australia.

Rakasree Basu, CEO of Frames Per Second Films, said in a statement: “I welcome newly announced incentive for foreign film and television production by government of India. This will certainly encourage and enrich all foreign productions planning to shoot in India with knowledgeable and proficient Indian cast and crew. This initiative will motivate foreign filmmakers to explore intercultural workspace, boost shared learning of filming practices and make India an attractive filming destination for international productions. It is indeed a good start for India as a country of honor in Cannes.”

As per report, Shakthidharan – also writer – will be crossing over from a career in atre to cinema with this film. His play, Counting and Cracking, set over four generations in Sri Lanka and Australia, was a huge success and won seven Helpmann Awards in Australia. Sri Lankan filmmaking doyen Prasanna Vithanage will vise Frames Per Second Films on project.