[caption id="attachment_69912" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Bollywood star Salman Khan during the shooting of "Once There Was a Tiger" in Trinity College Dublin last fall. "]
It's not a reference to the long gone Celtic variety, but a new Bollywood film shot in Dublin called "Once There Was a Tiger" could soon boost the Irish economy through tourism.
The all-singing, all-dancing movie, in the traditional melodramatic Bollywood style, was shot on location in Dublin last year, and Tourism Ireland ais now banking on the Emerald Isle's promotion as a holiday destination in India, one of the world's most crucial growing economies and with an expanding middle-class that is keen to travel.
Parts of the romantic thriller, also named "Ek Tha Tiger" were shot in Ireland's capital, the first time for a Bollywood production. The title translates as "Once There Was a Tiger," which could be seen by some wags as fitting since Ireland's own "Celtic Tiger" is also a now a "once" phenomenon.
However, with a potential audience of 100 million in India alone, it is hoped the Irish scenes in the movie could prompt a rise in tourism over the coming years. Filming was carried out in Dublin's Trinity College, Merrion Square and at the iconic Ha'penny Bridge spanning the river Liffey." the film features two of the biggest names in Indian film, Katrina Kaif and Salman Khan.
Meanwhile, Tourism Ireland officials are hoping to cash in on the upcoming hype with a trade trip to India, where they will visit the home of Bollywood, Mumbai, and the Indian capital, Delhi.
It is currently estimated that around 15,000 visits to Ireland are made by Indians each year; however this n umber is dwarfed by the 400,000 who visit next door Britain annually.
A Tourism Ireland spokesperson explained: "Bollywood is deep-rooted in the psyche of most Indians and the films have a considerable influence on Indian travelers when they are deciding on their holiday destination.
"We are confident that the footage shot in Dublin will help whet appetites and create a curiosity among Indians to come and visit the places where the colorful film was shot."
