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By Waheed Abbas
United Arab Emirates-based billionaire businessman Dr BR Shetty is set to produce India’s most expensive film, at a cost of 1,000 crore Indian rupees ($150 million).
The founder and chairman of UAE Exchange and NMC Healthcare, Shetty will finance the production of ‘The Mahabharata’ which is being directed by VA Shrikumar Menon.
The film, which will be a screen adaption of an Indian epic poem about two warring clans, will be produced in two parts. The first instalment will start filming in September 2018, for an early 2020 release, with the second instalment due to hit cinemas 90 days later.
The film will be shot primarily in English, Hindi, Malayalam, Kannada, Tamil and Telugu and will be dubbed into major Indian languages and leading foreign languages, according to a press statement issued on Monday.
“I believe that this film will not only set global benchmarks, but also reposition India and its prowess in mythological storytelling. I am confident that this film will be adapted in over 100 languages and reach over 3 billion people across the world,” Dr Shetty was quoted as saying.
The UAE-based businessman is said to be worth around $3.1 billion according to the most recent Forbes billionaires list.
© Zawya 2017
