UK's BBE teams with Indian filmmakers for script development programme

UK-based Beautiful Bay Entertainment (BBE) is teaming with filmmaker Vikramaditya Motwane (Udaan, Lootera) and Tulsea Pictures on an Indian script development programme.

Motwane, the programme’s creative advisor, has already selected the first three writer-directors to be supported by the scheme, which aims to contribute to a longer-term development pipeline in the Indian film business.

The three filmmakers will receive funds to develop their projects from conceptual stage to the final draft of the script.

Tulsea Pictures, which manages writers and directors, advised on structuring the programme and will serve as packaging partner on the developed scripts. Tulsea represents Motwane as well as the writer-directors associated with the programme.

The three selected filmmakers are Varun Grover with sports biopic Spin Baloo, Atul Mongia with noir drama The Antagonist and Anvita Dutt with Gudiya, the story of two girls connected through past lives who are in love.

Grover wrote lyrics for Anurag Kashyap’s Gangs Of Wasseypur and is co-writer of Fly Away Solo, winner of this year’s Sundance Institute Award.

Mongia worked as associate director on Titli, which is screening Un Certain Regard, while Dutt has worked on ten films as a writer and has several projects at various stages of development.

BBE was founded by UK producers Ward and Colin Burrows who both have production experience in India. Ward is currently producing BBE’s first Hindi film Much Much Mobile, while Burrows is working on UK-set Bounty Hunter, starring Abhay Deol.

“Hindi cinema succeeds in spite of a complete void where funded development is concerned. With this initiative, BBE is investing, not just in a process that is vital to good filmmaking, but in strong commercial concepts with promising talent at the helm,” said BBE’s Michael Ward.

Tulsea’s Datta Dave added: “It’s apt that our clients be part of something that is path breaking in the content space within India’s rapidly emerging and evolving media and entertainment industry.”