Not just Bollywood, Hollywood too is finding the locales in the state of Uttar Pradesh exciting. In the next few months, UP will be hosting several international productions, which have chosen to shoot in various cities of UP. English film fans can look forward to catching a glimpse of international and desi stars of the following films when they come to shoot in the state.

RANI LAKSHMIBAI
Hollywood-based Indian producer Swati Bhise will be shooting a film based on Rani Lakshmibai in Jhansi next year. With the title role being played by Bhise's daughter Devika, the film is also expected to star some known names from Bollywood. The Indo-US production to be made in Hindi, English and Marathi will be directed by actor-director Mahesh Manjrekar.


VICTORIA & ABDUL
As we've told you earlier, parts of the Hollywood production Victoria & Abdul, starring Judi Dench and Lucknow boy Ali Fazal, will be shot in Agra in November this year. The film, about British monarch Queen Victoria and her friendship with her assistant Abdul, will be shot in England and in India. “We will be shooting a song that will probably come towards the end of the film, with 120 dancers, in Mehtab Bagh in Agra in November,“ informs Pravesh Sahni, the Indian production co-ordinator of the film.“It's our good luck that the Archeological Survey of India has granted us permission for the shoot,“ adds Sahni, who has in the past co-ordinated shoots for major Hollywood productions in India including A Mighty Hear, Zero Dark Thirty, Life of Pi, Eat Pray Love and Mission: Impossible ­ Ghost Protocol.


SULTANA
A film based on the notorious bandit Sultana is slated to be shot in the Chambal valley, Haldwani and other parts of state early next year. To be produced by British filmmaker Colin Burrows, the film will chronicle the life of Daku Sultana who had terrorized the Britishers during the 1920s. Burrows, who was one of the producers of Daniel Craig's Bond film Skyfall, has got the rights of the English version of the book penned by Sujit Saraf on the dreaded bandit, and the film will be based on the same. He plans on shooting the film some time early next year. Looking for a top notch Bollywood actor to play the title role, Burrows has already talked to actors Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Ravi Kishan for important parts in the film.

MAC MAFIA
This UK production will also be shot at different places in the state. The cast and crew of the film is yet to be decided. “Pravesh Sahni will be going to London soon to work out the details of the film,“ informs Gaurav Dwivedi, vice chairman Uttar Pradesh Film Development Council. “The producers, whom I met in Cannes, want to shoot at a vast factory complex and I had suggested a few places in Lucknow to them,“ he adds.


MAJID MAJIDI'S UNTITLED PRODUCTION
The Iranian filmmaker and screenwriter was in Banaras last week to conduct a recce for his next film based in Uttar Pradesh. Majid, who has films like The Colour of Paradise, Baran, The Song of Sparrows, Muhammad: The Messenger of God and the Oscar-nominated Children of Heaven to his credit, is planning to make the film on the children in Banaras. Allahabadi casting director Honey Trehan was quoted as saying in a report, “It will take off towards the year-end or early 2017 and is a signature Majidi film in its take on relationships and emotional quotient.“ Honey has been roped in by Majidi to find him Indian actors who can play pivotal roles in the film.