Indian Movie Released: No Bermuda Sequences
Ramesh Varma’s film Veera was released in India today [May 20] to high publicity and mostly poor reviews. The film was reportedly set to contain two song sequences shot in Bermuda earlier this year. However, it appears that the Bermudian sequences never materialized – despite two announcements that shooting here would soon commence.
The song sequences from Indian films are frequently their most visible aspect, often playing as stand-alone promotional music videos on television. This would have given Bermuda positive publicity – especially if a song featuring the island as a backdrop had become a hit. But scheduling issues and problems with obtaining US visas for the cast and crew led the filmmakers to change their plans, said Mr Ven Subramanian.
Song-sequence clips from Veera shot in another beach location began to appear on YouTube early this month, with Indian movie sites mentioning Mauritius and Switzerland as the film’s foreign locations.
Asked about the fate of Veera’s Bermuda sequences today, consultant Ven Subramanian, who brought the director and producers of Veera to Bermuda last year, said, “The film unit was unable to shoot the intended song sequence in Bermuda as important members of the film technical crew were not able to obtain the U.S. visa.
“They intended to shoot 2 songs in New York and Philadelphia and 1 in Bermuda and due to the US visa issue, they had to replace these locations with Switzerland and Mauritius. The song intended to be shot in Bermuda was shot instead in Mauritius in April.”
Part of the reasoning behind former Premier Dr Ewart Brown’s $37,000 trip to India last year, a trip reportedly coordinated by Mr. Subramanian, was that it would result in Indian filmmakers choosing Bermuda for location shoots.
At the time, Veera was touted as a sure-fire way to promote the island due to its high budget and the star-power of actor Ravi Teja and leading ladies Kajal Agarwal [pictured below] and Taapsee Pannu.
In a ministerial statement from May 14th 2010, Premier Dr Brown called the movie shoot a “major achievement which will provide a short-term boost to tourism and related services while the crew and stars are in Bermuda and will be followed by significant exposure into new and emerging markets from which we can only benefit.”
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- Lots of Glitter, No Gold | May 20, 2011
another Dr Brown situation huh things that make you go hmmmmm
Another Brown/PLP promise undelivered at great expense to Bermuda. He got conned at our expense.
and we got conned to his gain….
Does “we had to deceive you” sound familiar?
Yes, Crockwell, Pettingil, Hunte and now Barritt, Gibbons, Pamplin, Simons, Jackson, Moniz and ET Richards – We believed them and voted UBP, then some of us believe the 3 blind mice and went BDA now we are supporting the independents no more party politricks!
Not Politics – why the need to travel to India (and China) for supposed hordes of tourists? Think of taxpayer funded marketing trips to drum up medical tourists, but not for KEMH.
Ring Master it sure does sound like the “we had to deceive you” (doc Brown and crew) and now we have Pettingill spewing the same crap … what a mess this Island is in !!!! enough is enough………..
How can you call something a “major achievement” before it has even happened??
*facepalm* Oh, Ewart. SMH
What could Brown do for you? Cog up your toilet..thats what.
…..a short term boost for sure. So wicked!
I’v been to India Several times and it does not anywhere close to $35k+!
You obviously lack Brown’s sense of style.
lol yup a private jet does sounds a lot nicer than Emirates!
Who paid for them to come here?
Who paid for them to stay here?
Who is still paying?
To quote a expats parting words while boarding a plane…..Dumb Bermudians!
“They intended to shoot 2 songs in New York and Philadelphia and 1 in Bermuda and due to the US visa issue, they had to replace these locations with Switzerland and Mauritius. The song intended to be shot in Bermuda was shot instead in Mauritius in April.”
But it’s Dr. Brown’s fault.
Hey, but at least those ferries and the buses run on time….oh..wait.
Go back to bed Laverne.
Sandgrownan, I knew people like you would love this “non-story”. Anything to get at Dr. Brown. After all, he has control over U.S./India Immigration policies.
So now he’s still responsible for the transport problems although he is no longer Premier/Transport and Tourism Minister. It’s amazing that you people are still obsessed with the man.
So you’re saying that in the short time Paula has been in charge everything has deteriorated? The maintenance problems took years to develop and didn’t suddenly start after EFB stepped down. And as far as the schedule cuts they’re due to the state of the economy and the massive debt the island is carrying – that debt was incurred during EFB’s watch. [In fairness, Paula was MoF and had a legal responsibility to do something but abrogated her responsibilities there.]
Before you jump on the “global economy” bandwagon, don’t forget that the island saw a decline in tourist arrivals well before the stuff hit the fan and, even during the recession, our competition saw record gains. As a point in fact, Miami-Dade had a record year last year.
As far as visa problems go, it’s nice to know that the only way to get to Bermuda from India is via the US.
Yep, Dr. Brown was responsible for the economic decline, the decline in tourism, the decline in the bus and ferry service, the fact that the US declined to give the people from India visa, the fact that the film makers didn’t know that they could travel to Bermuda from somewhere else other than the U.S., the fact that the film makers couldn’t shoot scenes in the U.S. either. He is also responsible for the dissoultion of the UBP and the creation of the OBA. Added to that it was at his insistence that Kim and Charlie Swan decided to stay as UBP members. Maybe you all can blame what happening with the IMF guy on Dr. Brown too.
He is one powerful man!!
Amused – Don’t you think the Indian filmmakers would have considered the alternative of flying through London with their crew and equipment and decided that it was not cost-effective? Do you know the price differential between NYC to Bermuda vs London to Bermuda? If they were not able to shoot in New York and Philly, would it have made economic sense to fly to Bermuda to shoot just one song? If you were a businessman or the film’s producer, would you?
Laverne,
No one takes what you say seriously, beyond the kool-aid drinking plp supporters. Anyone with half a brain and half an education can see the destruction that Dr. Brown and your government has inflicted on the Island. It is because of his and your government’s short sighted, ignorant decision making that we are in the mess we are. It must be easy for you to point the finger at everything and everyone else and lay blame. After all you are paid by us to tow your party line. Enjoy the gravy train while you can because you are living on borrowed time and borrowed money. I hope your UK passport still works when you the Bermuda gravy train runs out. Or maybe you can rent a room at the Doc’s home on Marthas Vineyard?
Dr brown rattle all you white people and we had not heard from you since get over it and leave the man alone.
that’s because he betrayed you and your country, and you still have your blinds on…. he’s put you into this mess and you still defend him while he’s laughing all the way…
No Laverne, Dr. Brown is not responsible for the collapse of the world as we know it – but this is just another example of a disgusting amount of money he spent which has resulted in absolutely nothing.
He had us plain and simple.
This was always a farce…..re excuse VISAS….What is wrong with flying via London?? No Visa problems flying through the UK!!! Please spare us the BS^^
GO – You don’t think the filmmakers would have considered that? If they were not able to shoot in New York and Philly, would it have made economic sense to fly to Bermuda to shoot just one song? If you were a businessman or the film’s producer, would you?
“They intended to shoot 2 songs in New York and Philadelphia and 1 in Bermuda and due to the US visa issue, they had to replace these locations with Switzerland and Mauritius. The song intended to be shot in Bermuda was shot instead in Mauritius in April.”
But it’s Dr. Brown’s fault.
Let’s just be glad that Dr. Brown is a thing of the past… the truth of his ‘power’ will continue to reveal itself for the next number of years… but at least it’s coming out.