Shooting Bollywood abroad: The outsourcing of Indian films in Italy

Since the end of the 1990s, Indian producers have been outsourcing an increasing number of film productions to western countries (especially in Austria, Italy, Switzerland, Spain, in the United Kingdom and United States). The outsourcing is part of a corporatization process that is laying roots within the Indian film industry and pushing its producers to play an important role in the global media landscape. In light of these trends, the article investigates the reasons motivating Indian producers to move their film shoots abroad. It especially analyses the phenomenon of Indian films shot in Italy, and explains why Italy is currently so appealing for Indian producers. The article is based on some in-depth interviews conducted in India and Italy with some key-players of their respective film industries, and on a survey submitted to the Italian film commissions.