LEICESTER, England, Feb. 9 (UPI) -- The city of Leicester has launched a $67 million tax relief plan to lure Bollywood producers to Britain, the BBC reported Monday.
The scheme, developed by the Trade and Industry Secretary and backed by the Leicester City Council, offers producers and investors of Indian films lucrative tax breaks on up to 10 films made in the city.
Leicester is an obvious locale for Bollywood films, given its large Indian base, which is 25 percent of the city's population.
Bollywood films have been made in England in the past, including the successful film "Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham," but this is the first plan to produce so many films.
The new system, according to actor Dipesh Majithia, is win-win.
Bollywood producers wanted to work in Britain because of the "beautiful locations," Majithia said, "and people in the U.K. want to work with Bollywood producers because Bollywood is one of the biggest players in the film industry."
The stars in the Leicester-made films would be Bollywood favorites, such as Aishwarya Rai, the former Miss World, and Lara Dutt, the former Miss Universe, but the production, cutting, editing and post-production work would be done in Britain.
