Bollywood blockbuster booster for region

A multi-million pound budget Bollywood blockbuster will be shot in the Black Country and Birmingham, it was announced today.

Action film Tezz, will star Anil Kapoor, who played the quizmaster in Oscar-winning film Slumdog Millionaire. He was also in the eighth season of 24 alongside Kiefer Sutherland.

Director Priyadarshan and producer Ratan Jain, well-known in India, are in the UK for the start of filming on October 14. Exact locations are being kept under wraps but will take place around the Black Country and Birmingham, with many scenes taking place in Sandwell.

Birmingham-based UK Premier Consulting helped persuade the film-maker to come to the Midlands with the help of Screen West Midlands and Film Birmingham.

Sindy Campbell of Film Birmingham said: "To my knowledge it is the biggest Bollywood film that has been made here to date, Birmingham is attracting more films now and bigger budget films.

"We have also had TV programmes like Hustle and Survivors filmed here in the city as well. This film will of course bring in revenue to the area, to restaurants and hotels and shops as the large cast and crew will be here until mid November."

Kully Kaur, of UK Premier, said: "This is a film with a big budget of millions, it is one of the best directors, the best producers and has the best actors and actresses, it is a major coup for Birmingham and the Black Country."

UK Premier has helped recruit extras from the region and is still looking for more with about 200 needed. After two months of filming in the Midlands the film's cast and crew will also travel to London, Scotland and Wales for more scenes.

The film, which is intended to be on a par with sleek Hollywood action flicks, is about a train travelling from Glasgow to London which is held up by a madman.

It was originally to be called Bullet Train before being re-named Tezz, which roughly translates as speed.

The Ratan Jain-Priyadarshan duo has always spelled magic at the box office with all four of their projects — Hungama, Hulchul, Garam Masala and De Dana Dan — turning out to be super hits.

Reports on the internet that 14 crew members were refused UK entry because of the film's terrorist themes were today denied by UK Premier.