With an eye on budget while scouting for fresh locations overseas, producers opt to shoot in countries where they can benefit from government subsidies. While most countries offer production crews subsidies on films shot there (see box), some like France don’t.

A recent addition to that list is Sri Lanka which won’t offer subsidies to Ranbir Kapoor-Anushka Sharma starrer Bombay Velvet, directed by Anurag Kashyap, which begins shooting near Colombo next month.

By most accounts, a bad experience with the makers of Salman Khan starrer Ready provoked the change in policy. As it turns out, a promise not kept, is to blame.

Explains our source, “The film’s makers committed to promote tourism in that country after release. They also featured two Sri Lankan actresses in the movie. The first schedule went off well and they completed about 40% of the shoot. But after that, Salman had an eye problem, and he requested the Mumbai schedule to be delayed. The last schedule, which was supposed to be shot in Lanka, was shifted to Bangkok for reasons best known to the makers. According to tourism board officials, the Lankan actresses were not paid and the film’s makers didn’t keep their commitment after the film was released. Upset with the treatment meted out to them three years ago, the tourism board is in no mood to help the makers of the Ranbir-Anushka film. That’s why Bombay Velvet is not getting any subsidies from that country.”

Incidentally, this could also be the reason why no Sri Lankan production crew will be associated with the shoot. Our source says, “Normally, local teams are associated with the production to ease the logistics. But the only locals working on this film are the labourers building the set.” - ToI