Despite passing through its worst-ever crisis, Bollywood seems to be working its charms on financial institutions, which are trying to outdo one another to lend big bucks to the industry. Though the Hindi film industry has been desperately looking for a big hit since the past one year, banks and financial institutions, perceiving the industry as a 'high priority growth area', promising guaranteed high returns within a short period, have been showing an increasing interest in film financing.

 
The first ones to jump in the fray was the Industrial and Development Bank of India (IDBI), which was followed by the Bank of Baroda and the Bank of India (BoI), all of which have invested huge amounts of money in the industry. While the IDBI, which had announced two years ago that it would invest around Rs 100 crore to finance films, has invested Rs 46 crore in 12 films of which six have already been released, the BoI has financed six films so far.

BoB has earmarked a corpus of Rs 100 crore for the purpose and has already financed 50 per cent of Akbar Khan's TAJMAHAL starring Manisha Koirala, Pooja Batra and Kabir Bedi. According to rough estimates, corporate financiers have pumped in Rs 300 crore in 50 films most of which belong to big production houses like Mukta Arts, Rajshree Pictures Private Ltd, Balaji Telefilms and Tips.

Banks and financial institutions have reportedly invested Rs 20 crore each in Rajshri Productions MAIN PREM KI DEEWANI HOON starring Hrithik Roshan and Kareena, HUM PYAR TUMHI SE KAR BAITHE and MUJHE TUMSE PYAR HAI. IDBI invested Rs 7 crore in Gaurang Doshi's ANKEIHN; Rs 3.5 crore in Telugu film DADDY and Rs 3.6 crore in RISHTEY and Rs 3.2 crore in THE RISING. At the same time, the IDBI has invested Rs 5 crore each in some of the films, which are awaiting release including Feroz Khan's JAANASHEEN and Rohan Sippy's KUCH NA KHAHO.

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