Very soon, Bollywood actors will be seen doing songs-and-dance sequence on the scenic locales of France while the French cinema will utilise various Indian locales. This is because India and France are set to sign a film co-production agreement on Monday with several benefits embedded in the contract for the Bollywood film producers.

The agreement is to be signed by minister for information and broadcasting Ambika Soni and her counterpart in the French cabinet who is currently in India as part of the delegation of President Nicholas Sarkozy.

So far, India has film co-production agreements with UK, Italy, Germany and Brazil. However, the India-France co-production agreement has a special clause that covers the various multilateral co-productions.

According to article 10 of the agreement, a co-produced film between India and France can simultaneously be a co-produced film between other countries. For instance, a co-produced film between India and France, can simultaneously be treated as a co-produced film between India and any third country. It can also be treated as a co-produced film between France and another third country with whom France has entered into a co-production agreement, an official said.

So far, at least 30 Indian films have been shot in France including a dozen Hindi films. These include An Evening in Paris, Great Gambler and a clutch of Tamil films. According to experts, the inter-governmental co-production agreements are usually umbrella agreements under which private, quasi-government or government agencies may enter into contracts to produce films together. Such films are treated as national films in both the countries.

For Bollywood producers, the India-France agreements could come handy as several Hindi and regional films are shot across locales in Europe but not France. However, for India, the co-production agreement will throw open the doors for French film companies to shoot in India with special incentives like relaxed visa norms and tax rebates.

So far, the I&B ministry has an existing protocol on co-operation in the field of cinematography with the National Centre for Cinematography of the government of France. The protocol entered into in 1985 was meant to facilitate funding and distribution of films produced under the protocol, however, with the passage of time many of its clauses become irrelevant, therefore, the I&B ministry now proposes to enter into a fresh and comprehensive agreement with France which would supersede the earlier protocol, sources in the I&B ministry said.