While 'Bollywood' desires to make its mark in the international arena, it still seems it is still lagging behind in regard to representation at prestigious film festivals. More importantly, in generating the interest, faith and confidence in foreign units to come and shoot in India.

A major spokesperson for the Hindi film industry in attendance at the Cannes film festival had a fairly bleak picture to portray of the scenario down there.

"The Indian press was very badly organized and they were often seen trying to push without the necessary permission into various events organized for the international press. In fact, Indian media persons had a tough time getting into Preity Zintta's event for Chopard."

Worse yet was the talk going around at Cannes about the treatment various foreign film units who desire to shoot in India.

Says the Bollywood spokesperson, "The treatment meted out to the first unit of Deepa Mehta's Water and now to Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt during the shooting of A Mighty Heart in Pune has left other foreign units? desire of shooting in India completely cold. Now, some filmmakers who were planning to shoot in India have decided against it. There's just too much red-tape and bureaucratic bungling and moral policing."

Repeorts have it that Mira Nair is planning to shift the location of her Mumbai-centric plot in her Amitabh Bachchan-Johnny Depp starrer Shantaram to a location outside India. However, although Mira completely denies any change of plan, the feeling that India hasn't opened it doors to film units from outside India is one that is growing.