MUMBAI: A Gulf-based billionaire is planning to smash the record for the most expensive Indian movie by splashing out $150 million to make a film of the Hindu epic “Mahabharata.”
The cost of producing the two-part extravaganza is set to dwarf that of “Baahubali,” which is India’s biggest budget film to date at around 4.5 billion rupees ($45 million).
“I believe that this film will not only set global benchmarks, but also reposition India and its prowess in mythological storytelling,” said businessman B. R. Shetty in a statement late Monday announcing the project.
“I am confident that this film will be adapted in over 100 languages and reach over 3 billion people across the world,” added the Indian billionaire, who lives in the United Arab Emirates.
Filming is due to start late next year with the first installment set to hit screens in early 2020, the statement said. It will be released in several Indian languages and dubbed for foreign audiences as well.
The blockbuster, which will be directed by south Indian filmmaker V.A Shrikumar Menon, will be the latest retelling of the “Mahabharata,” an ancient Sanskrit story about a battle between feuding princes.
The announcement comes before the release next week of the second and final instalment of “Baahubali,” a Telugu- and Tamil-language film featuring elaborate battle scenes. The combined cost for the two parts was about $45 million.
While budgets for Indian movies are rising they are still well short of those in Hollywood, where a blockbuster often costs more than $200 million to make.
UAE-based billionaire plans India’s most expensive film
UAE-based billionaire plans India’s most expensive film
6 planets will parade across the night sky at the end of February
NEW YORK: Six planets are linking up in the sky at the end of February, and most will be visible to the naked eye.
It’s what’s known as a planetary parade, which happens when multiple planets appear to line up in the sky at once. The planets aren’t in a straight line, but are close together on one side of the sun.
Skygazers can usually spot two or three planets after sunset, according to NASA. Hangouts of four or five that can be glimpsed with the naked eye are less common and occur every few years. Last year featured lineups of six and all seven planets.
When will they be visible?
On Saturday, Mercury, Venus, Jupiter and Saturn will be visible to the naked eye if clear skies allow. Uranus and Neptune can only be spotted with binoculars and telescopes.
What time is optimal for viewing?
Go outside about an hour after sunset and venture away from tall buildings and trees that will block the view. Look to the western sky and spot Mercury, Venus and Saturn close to the horizon. Jupiter will be higher up, along with Uranus and Neptune.
How to know if you’ve spied a member of the parade?
“If it’s twinkling, it’s a star. If it is not twinkling, it’s a planet,” said planetary scientist Sara Mazrouei with Humber Polytechnic in Canada.
The parade should be visible over the weekend and in the days after. Eventually, Mercury will bow out and dip below the horizon.
At least one bright planet is visible on most nights, according to NASA.
Glimpsing many in the sky at once is a fun way to connect with astronomers of centuries’ past, said planetary scientist Emily Elizondo with Michigan State University.
Ancient astronomers used to make sense of the universe “just by looking up at the stars and the planets,” Elizondo said, “which is something that we can do today.”
