Leading Indian actors from the film industries in Mumbai and South India, Geneila De Souza and Ram Cherain Teja are in Melbourne for the filming of the feature flick Orange - the biggest Indian film ever to be set in Australia.
The Member for Melbourne, Bronwyn Pike, spent the morning on the set of Orange - in Southbank - and said the movie is expected to be seen by hundreds of millions of people when it is released across the world next year.
"Orange is the biggest and longest film shoot of a Bollywood film in Australia and will employ more than 250 Victorians as cast and crew during filming," Ms Pike said.
"The feedback from the film's stars and producer Anupam Sharma is that Melbourne's thriving Indian community is buzzing with excitement that two of Bollywood's biggest stars are in our city to film Orange.
"Orange will be filmed at a number of Melbourne locations, including ACDC and Hosier lanes, Southbank, the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, the West Gate Bridge and Docklands.
"The Brumby Labor Government is proud that our wonderful city is playing a leading role in this blockbuster Bollywood film."
Mr Sharma said the Melbourne community was welcoming and film-friendly.
"It is a delight to film the movie in Melbourne because the local community has a genuine interest in film-making," he said.
"The community has given the cast and crew a warm welcome and we're looking forward to filming in Melbourne over the next few months.
"Orange will tell the story of a young Indian student who has settled in Melbourne and falls in love - and the twists and turns that accompany relationships.
"We are setting the film against the backdrop of Melbourne and we're using a mix of local and international cast and crew to make the movie.
"Orange is scheduled to screen around the world in 2011 and will be seen by hundreds of millions of movie-goers."
Minister for Innovation Gavin Jennings said the Brumby Government has helped the screen sector back on its feet.
"When the Brumby Labor Government was elected, the screen sector was neglected, with little leadership from government and many productions heading to other states," he said.
"Since then, the sector has got back on its feet and last year generated production activity of $172 million, directly creating 5164 full-time equivalent jobs.
"The past two years have seen record levels of economic activity generated by the Victorian industry."
Orange will join a number of highly successfully Bollywood films shot in Victoria, including Salaam Namaste - the second highest grossing Bollywood film of 2005 - seen by an estimated audience of 300 million.
