Ottawa to play leading role in Bollywood film production

The city of Ottawa will play a leading role in a Bollywood production set to shoot in the capital in 2017.

The announcement was made Wednesday in Mumbai, where Ottawa mayor Jim Watson is continuing a five day trade mission aimed at opening doors for local businesses and drawing tourists for Canada's 150th birthday celebrations.

QEW Films Inc. signed a deal with Anmol Pictures to co-produce The Betel Nut Warriors,to be directed by filmmaker Shashanka Ghosh.

Watson tours Bollywood film studio

The partnership highlights ways to market Ottawa as a film and television production destination, the city said in a news release.

Watson and the delegation did their part to market Ottawa as a filming location while visiting Yash Raj Films, one of the largest Bollywood film production studios in India.

"The Ottawa trade mission to India is opening doors and providing important access to key business leaders and decision-makers that is generating investments, partnerships, and a great deal of interest in business development opportunities in Ottawa," said Watson in a news release.

Partnership deals rolling in

The production was just one in a series of partnerships announced during the first few days of site visits and meetings in New Delhi and Mumbai. Ottawa companiesEION Inc, Clearford Water Systems Inc., and Invest Ottawa also announced partnerships with India.

The delegation will now continue to the mission in Bangalore, the hub of the country's IT industry.