Bollywood: Invasion Of The Young Turks

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A new generation of more realistic and cost-conscious filmmakers hits
India's Tinseltown. Behind the scenes, it's the financing that makes the new
crop of films sustainable. They're made for well under $100,000 each and are
mostly funded by the family and friends of the filmmakers. In contrast, a
typical Bollywood blockbuster can cost as much as $8 million. These low-cost
flicks feature lesser-known stars -- some of them from India's television
and modeling worlds -- who work for a fraction of what the big stars make.
Urban audiences increasingly like the realism of these plots, as opposed to
the escapism of traditional Bollywood fare. To keep distribution costs down,
the films play in small cinemas located in new multiplexes, nearly 30 of
which opened across India last year. "The next 18 months will see the
industry start to grow and go global," predicts Sunir Kheterpal, head of
media and entertainment for Rabo Bank International's India operation.

Source:
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/04_10/b3873065.htm