Pic, to be helmed this fall in Rajasthan by Dev Benegal, falls somewhere between "Cinema Paradiso" and "Little Miss Sunshine." It features a young man who has three days to carry a creaky film projector through the Indian countryside and on his journey collects an eccentric group of stragglers.

"I'm trying to concentrate on my own writing and directing projects and play down producing activities, but when I came across Dev and this project I simply had to make this movie happen," Katz told Variety.

"Dev captures Rajasthan so well, its harsh elements, how movies have been projected from the back of trucks since the 1950s and audiences of thousands materialize seemingly from nowhere and then mixes in elements of whimsy," Katz said. "He has a very poetic touch. And is very specific about his palette of colors and shapes." Pic is being fully financed by the Indian Film Co.- Studio18, a hugely ambitious movie start-up that has a London stock market listing, is part-financed by Viacom and counts Paramount Vantage prexy Nick Meyer among its board members.

"The budget is small by anyone's standards," Landau said. "But this film is a real coherent combination of Indian film business and two strong American producers."

TIFC is also handling "Little Zizou," by "The Namesake" and "Salaam Bombay" scripter Sooni Taraporevala and Mira Nair, comedy "Singh Is King," and "Golmaal Returns," sequel to the 2006 smash.

© Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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