Getting a break in Bollywood

By IRENE CHAPPLE

Paul Fairless is, in the tradition of any self-respecting Bollywood flick, making a song and dance of it.

His post-production house, Images Post, is helping to bring the kitsch glamour movie business to New Zealand.

Fairless talks fast, laughs sporadically and you can practically hear his heels click with dance steps.

As the company's former managing director and now its film and television producer, Fairless is buzzing.

He has just returned from a trip to India where he schmoozed the best in the Bollywood business.

The trip was initiated by Indian-New Zealander colleague Ajay Vasisht, of UtopiaNZ Film.

Vasisht persuaded Fairless to represent Images Post with a stall at the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry's Frames 2002 Conference, held in Bombay in March.

"I expected to hand out a few business cards," says Fairless.

"Instead, I met around 200 people. The personal approach was really good."

The trip, which cost $25,000 for three companies to represent New Zealand, was partly funded by Trade NZ.

The promotional tour has convinced one film crew of around 30 people to visit.

They arrive for a month of filming in New Zealand on May 18.

Fairless is negotiating with up to eight other film-makers.

Bollywood - the Bombay studio houses which pump out hundreds of Hindi films a year - is becoming a serious force in the film-making world as the growth in satellite television is helping bridge the gap between east and west.

Fairless was in India when the talk on the streets was Lagaan's Oscar nomination for best foreign film.

The Lord of the Rings had also just opened in India, and the mutual Oscars anticipation gave the visitor common ground with the local people.

"We just talked about cricket, Lagaan, and Lord of the Rings," says Fairless.

"It was a good feeling - the people were really friendly."

He says New Zealand needs to grab the burgeoning market's coat-tails, promoting the country's scenic variety and competitive dollar.

Bollywood already uses New Zealand backdrops. A crew visited Timaru this year to film the musical Kya Pyaar Karoje Mudjhe (Will You Fall in Love with Me?) - but Fairless says the market is barely tapped.

He estimates work with Bollywood film companies could add up to $100,000 to Images Post's turnover over the next year.

Beyond that he won't be drawn, but says India spends millions of dollars, on hundreds of films each year.

The development is exciting for a company that emerged from receivership in 1993 when Fairless and four others bought a collapsed production house.

Images Post has since worked on film, video and television productions including New Zealand shows Street Legal and Mercy Peak. It employs 30 people, including those in its subsidiary company Mandrill Audio Post.

Fairless, a long-time media buff, says he always wanted to work for himself.

He bought into Images Post aged around 30, and advises others not to leave it too late when going into business.

"For the first few years it was very scary.

"I had never run a company before, but it was the most exciting time of my life, apart from the trip to India."

"When you're younger you're enthusiastic and have lots of energy.

"And if it fails at least you took a risk, the kind I'd be less prepared to take now," he says.

"The earlier you do it the better."