The Victorian government has invested in local cricket comedy Save Your Legs!, which will be shot in Australia and India.
The film, inspired by a 2005 documentary of the same name, is about a Melbourne Cricket team: in a desperate bid to wind back the clock and cling to his childhood dreams, Edward Teddy Brown leads his two best mates and their cowboy cricket club on an audacious tour of India, winning friends but losing matches all the way.
It will be directed by Boyd Hicklin (who also directed the original documentary) produced by Nick Batzias and Robyn Kershaw, and shot by Mark Wareham ACS. Save Your Legs! will also star Australian actors Stephen Curry, Brendan Cowell and Damon Gameau.
The Coalition government's investment forms part of its trade engagement program with India, as well as a wider range of initiatives to promote trade between the two economies.
“Save Your Legs is a unique Victorian story celebrating Australia’s and India’s shared love of cricket,” the government's innovation, services and small business minister, Louise Asher, said in a statement.
“The Coalition government is pleased to be supporting a film which will be able to further strengthen our ties with the Bollywood industry, and at the same time promote Victoria on the big screen.”
The Victorian government has also committed $500,000 over four years to develop the Bollywood Film Festival.
Other development and production partners of Save Your Legs! include Screen Australia, Madman Entertainment, Robyn Kershaw Productions, Melbourne International Film Festival Premiere Fund, Deluxe and the Nine Network.
Filming begins in Melbourne on December 12 before an extensive shoot in India in early-2012.
Save Your Legs! will premiere as part of the 2012 Melbourne International Film Festival and is expected to be released in late-2012 through Madman Entertainment.