PK shooting in Belgium from June 9

Within the next few weeks the Bruges city canals, the Burg and the Grote markt will be the stage of Bollywood stars. The new film by Indian director Rajkumar Hirani will be partially set shot in Bruges. The film tells the story of an Indian student living in that city, who wants to marry her boyfriend, but all kinds of obstacles appear. The unfolding of the story, according to Eurydice Gysel of the production house Czar, remains a secret but rumours have it that the girl is a student in Bruges who falls in love with someone she cannot marry because of her background. Following a series of twists and rebellious plans to marry, she returns to her own country.

This may sound like just another romantic Bollywood tale, but according to Dipti –Nagpaul D'souza, a columnist for The Indian Express, there's more to the story. "Hirani produces comedies with a social message. He makes people think," she says. Even though she is also not familiar with the storyline, she has no doubt that it will not be a simple romantic Romeo and Juliet story. Hirani is a filmmaker who reaches a wide audience, but he remains intellectually credible with plausible scenarios. At this stage Hirani himself has only mentioned that the film will deal with "God and Godmen". Peekay, the title of the film, refers to the alcoholism of the principal character, played by top Indian actor Aamir Khan. His co-star in this "political satire" is Anushka Sharma. A few Belgian actors will star in smaller roles when the 50-strong Indian team starts shooting in Bruges on 9 June.

The choice of the Indian crew to film in Bruges was partly the result of budgetary problems. According to Gysel they initially planned to shoot in Italy. "They were looking for a romantic European city with an abundance of water," says Gysel. They then contacted Czar via the City Film Office Bruges, the production house which also acts as production service provider. "We organized the 10-day shooting in Bruges but we did not finance anything," Gysel adds. Hirani Films contacted the Belgian consulate in Mumbai, which put them into contact with the Flemish Tourist Office. Bollywood films increasingly include Europe in their locations, says Dipti -Nagpaul D'sousa. "They are especially keen on cities reminiscent of an English university city," says Gysel, who doubts the film will even mention the name Bruges in the film. Not that the city is complaining, as it stands to benefit handsomely from the wide audience Raj Hirani films attract. In addition to the benefits of providing a huge film crew with board and lodging for a few weeks, Bruges mayor Renaat Landuyt (SP.A) hopes tourism to the city will benefit from the exposure. In the UK and Switzerland the effect of Bollywood films on tourism is enormous. In Bruges the local Film Office will act as contact and coordinate enquiries, but the Flemish Tourist Office may come on board with logistic support. "It's important to positively identify and promote the location. We will consider ways in which we can use the film to promote the city as a tourist destination."