MUMBAI: In a bid to turn its fragile filmmaking industry into a viable socio-cultural sector, Bhutan has approached the Indian film industry and also sought the help of the government of India to set up a film studio in its capital city of Thimpu.

In this connection, South Asia Foundation (SAC) chairman Rahul Barua will be visiting Bhutan on 2 May to hold detailed discussions with Bhutanese filmmakers and government officials. "I have been invited by the Bhutan government to attend the national film awards function. I will take this opportunity to have detailed discussions with the filmmakers and officials of that country regarding the proposal to set up a film studio in Thimphu," Barua details.

He said the Foundation has been asked to prepare a master plan to set up the infrastructure for Bhutan‘s film industry for which the Bhutan government has already written to the Indian government seeking help to set up the studio. On its part, the government has asked South Asia Foundation to look into the matter.

The idea of a film studio was first put forward to Barua by a delegation of Bhutanese filmmakers, including that country‘s first woman director Karma Deki, and officials during the South Asian Film Festival in Panaji last November.

The SAC chairman said that he has already spoken to Indian filmmakers Subhash Ghai, Shyam Benegal, Madhur Bhandarkar, Sudhir Mishra, Mahesh Bhatt and Sharmila Tagore, all of whom have agreed to visit Bhutan and help develop its film industry.