Bollywood hopes to inspire youth to vote

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Mumbai: Some of Bollywood's biggest names are working on a short film that will urge first-time voters in India to cast their ballot in the upcoming general election.

Actors Abhishek Bachchan, John Abraham and Bipasha Basu are among the celebrities starring in the film, which will be aired on television channels ahead of polls in April and May.

"There is a whole bunch of people who have turned eighteen and have a certain fire in them and can actually make change," director Tarun Mansukhani told reporters.

Analysts estimate that India has at least 100 million first-time voters in the age group of 18 to 24. Over 700 million people are eligible to vote in a mammoth democratic exercise that starts April 16.

Actor Imran Khan, who came up with the idea for the short film after realizing many of his friends had never voted, said bringing Bollywood stars on board the project was a good way to get the attention of the youth.

"During our research, we realised that just 20 per cent of skyscraper voters turn up to vote -- which means people who live in high-rise buildings or from well-to-do backgrounds," Khan said.

"That is a shockingly low number," he said.

But director Mansukhani said the tide may be turning and events like the Mumbai attacks last November would inspire the country's youth to come out and vote in large numbers.

"I have a feeling that this election is going to be very different and they (young voters) are really going to step out," he said.