Indian rom-com does Rotorua proud

An Indian film crew have been filming parts of Life of Josuty in Lynmore. Photo / Stephen Parker

Rotorua will be the city on every director's lips once an Indian film crew release their movie Life of Josuty, according to those working on the film.

Local video producer Ron Michael was contacted by Backwater Studio - the South Indian studio making the romantic comedy - in April and helped them scout locations around the district.

"I think there were 26 people that came over from India," he said. "It's coming together beautifully because they shoot and they've got an editor here that puts it all together.

"They've got the components [to be a popular film] from what I've been told, if you have a top actor and top director, which they both are."

Mr Michael said the plot involved a woman who lives in Rotorua but returns to India to marry. She then brings her new husband, who is from a small village in India, to Rotorua.

"He is brought back here and that's where the comedy comes from - he does all the sorts of things he would do in his own country."

Mr Michael said Rotorua's scenery and places like St Faith's Church and Hamurana came up really well on film.

"Something unique for them was the autumn colours, because they don't see that back in their country, and the steam."

The film's spokeswoman Lakhshmi did not want to reveal her last name for privacy reasons.

She said Life of Josuty was billed for worldwide release in September, and their last day of shooting would be on Wednesday, before they returned to India to shoot the rest of the film.

"The director is a very good director in India, he is one of the most successful directors there. His last movie was a bit of a hit and it got movies remade in various languages, including Hindi."

She said the crew had managed to take in the sights.

"In the bus we have hired, we have been going around the pubs, wine tasting and things like that. We have been mostly around the lake area and we've spent one Sunday shooting in the Redwoods, and also gone to the Zorb."