Trip to India

Lyman sat with George in a coffee shop in the Mumbai area of India, stirring the Blue Mountain coffee in front of him. He took a sip, and the rich aroma of coffee mixed with a lingering sweetness lingered on his tongue, making him relax involuntarily.

Time seemed to slow down in this leisurely atmosphere. Half an hour passed before the person they were meeting finally arrived. "Sorry, gentlemen, I was held up with something," a middle-aged man approached and sincerely expressed his apologies, polite yet graceful.

Lyman looked up upon hearing this, while George spoke up, "No problem, we just arrived a little while ago."

The middle-aged man was dressed in traditional Indian attire, with a collarless long-sleeved shirt and draped pants. His complexion was fairer than the typical dark-skinned Indians, and he had a slender figure and a long face. He had light brown curly hair, slightly thick lips, and spoke fluent English with an Indian regional accent. Although there was a hint of curry aroma, communication was not a problem.

The middle-aged man then sat across from Lyman and turned to the waiter who followed him, saying, "A cup of Mandheling coffee with a spoonful of milk, no sugar, please. Thank you." This special meeting was naturally for the production of the film project "3 Idiots". The most challenging and daunting task for Lyman was the location scouting.

The entire film needed to be shot in the Indian region, and without the help of local insiders, it would be difficult to proceed. Moreover, there were many unknown factors in the Indian region. They needed to be aware of what to pay attention to, whether they might touch upon local taboos, and the coordination of set design and costumes during filming, all of which were filled with uncertainties. Therefore, the production team needed an intermediary who was familiar with all aspects of the matter—a person who could communicate with the actors, build bridges with the local government, and obtain permits for shooting locations. This person would ensure the smooth progress of the filming work and even the successful distribution of the film in India.

In this regard, cooperating with a well-established local production and distribution company was undoubtedly the fastest and most reliable method. Apart from their own capabilities, these companies had unparalleled networks and channels compared to smaller companies.

The middle-aged man before them was a high-ranking executive of Eros International, a leading player in the Indian film industry. Their company produced the highest number of films and achieved the best market performance in the Indian region each year. They had a significant grip on the local industry and even had important distribution channels in other regions such as the Middle East, Africa, and Southeast Asia. Through these channels, they successfully promoted Indian cultural characteristics.

Mumbai, India, was their company's headquarters and also the location of Bollywood.

"Let me introduce myself first. My name is Dhiren Kumar, and I am here to discuss the cooperation for this film production with both of you." Dhiren Kumar, self-proclaimed, took a sip of coffee and began speaking.

"George."

"Lyman."

After the introductions, the three exchanged a few polite words before gradually transitioning to the main topic.

"EuropaCorp wants to collaborate with us for the filming of this movie, is that correct?" Dhiren Kumar confirmed once again.

"Yes, we need to conduct on-site location scouting in the Indian region and spend approximately over a month for the shooting. However, we are not familiar with the area, so we hope your company can assist us in this film production and shooting." George answered, noticing Lyman's silence.

After pondering for a moment, Dhiren Kumar said, "What are the location requirements?"

"Most of the scenes take place in a university campus, and we also need several guesthouses. These are the location scouting requirements; you can take a look." George took out the location scouting document from the film project materials he had brought and handed it to Dhiren Kumar.

Dhiren Kumar carefully read through it before speaking, "We can provide similar suitable locations for these places, but what can our company gain from it?" Indeed, what could their company, Eros International, gain from this collaboration? What benefits were worth their efforts? This was a genuine question.

However, even before their contact, Lyman and George had reached an agreement, and even EuropaCorp understood what they needed to offer. In the business world, what truly moved people were tangible benefits. Only with such incentives could they convince others to put in the effort.

"For the Indian distribution of this film, your company will be in charge. EuropaCorp will receive 40% of the overall revenue." George stated the pre-agreed condition, of course, this was not their bottom line. In negotiations, both sides needed to state their demands. There was no point in revealing their trump card right from the beginning.

"After deducting theater revenue and marketing costs?" Dhiren Kumar inquired.

"No, no, your company will bear the marketing costs. We will only calculate based on the revenue share after deducting the theater's cut." George immediately rejected. This person was greedier than he had imagined, still thinking of deducting marketing costs. If there were no supervisors, most of the profits from the Indian region would end up in their company's pocket. It was impossible to play such a game.

"Alright, but your share needs to be reduced to 35% before our company can agree to the collaboration." Dhiren Kumar stated matter-of-factly, with a calm expression on his face.

After hearing that, George pretended to hesitate and struggle. He lowered his head in contemplation for a moment and then forcefully made eye contact with Lyman. Finally, he stammered, "No problem."

The bottom line set by EuropaCorp was a 30% revenue share. As long as they didn't break this limit, other negotiations would go smoothly.

Seeing their agreement, Dhiren Kumar visibly became delighted. He smiled and said, "Well then, do you have a detailed shooting plan? Our company can assist in arranging locations and production work."

"Of course, we have prepared for that." George took out another document from his briefcase behind him and handed it to Dhiren Kumar. After receiving a positive response, Dhiren Kumar didn't hesitate. He quickly skimmed through the document after taking it. He finished reading without saying anything or making any movements. Instead, he supported his chin with his right hand, seemingly lost in thought.

Lyman and George didn't interrupt the silence. For a while, the three of them sank into a harmonious silence. The lingering aroma of coffee gradually dispersed, and the contents in their cups diminished bit by bit.

Finally, Dhiran Kumar raised his gaze, looking somewhat puzzled, and asked, "May I ask who the director of this film is?"

"It's me." Lyman, who had been silent all this time, spoke up.

After confirming the target, although Dhiren Kumar had some doubts about whether someone as young as Lyman could smoothly handle the directing and filming of the project, it was not within his jurisdiction. Their company was just a collaborator, not the actual production company. Securing reasonable benefits was his main concern.

After reading through the shooting plan, Dhiren Kumar realized that the casting for the film hadn't been completed yet, which presented an opportunity. "May I ask if you have any specific actor choices for this film? Perhaps our company can provide consultation."

Dhiren Kumar pretended to be concerned about the filming work but actually wanted to push his company's contracted actors into this project. In doing so, not only could he provide performance opportunities for his artists, but he could also increase their market value. If the film turned out to be excellent and the actors who played the roles came from their company, it would undoubtedly have a lot of subsequent value to explore.

Lyman chuckled and didn't refuse Dhiren Kumar's goodwill. He didn't care much about the other roles except for the protagonist, Rancho. Since Eros International was willing to provide suitable actor options, it could accelerate the film's production, which was what he cared about.

"I would like to cast Aamir Khan as the protagonist, and for the other roles, I haven't found suitable choices yet." As soon as Lyman spoke, he surprised Dhiren Kumar. Among so many roles, he only had a fixed choice for the lead role, which meant there was a lot of flexibility in the remaining roles.

Dhiren Kumar looked earnestly at Lyman and said, "Our company knows many excellent Indian actors in the industry, and we can also approach well-known Bollywood stars. We will definitely be able to select suitable actors for this film. What do you think?"

"Our production budget is limited, so we won't be able to afford high-priced stars. This needs to be clarified in advance."

In other words, they could select actors, but they couldn't waste filming funds on big-name stars that they couldn't afford.

Dhiren Kumar clearly understood the implication. He replied, "Don't worry, we guarantee that we can select extremely suitable candidates in all aspects."

"Oh, by the way, although I have Aamir Khan in mind for the lead role, I don't have his contact information. Can your company help arrange that or convey a job offer?"

Dhiren Kumar had already obtained permission regarding the casting, so he naturally didn't consider Lyman's small request as a hindrance. He responded generously, "This actor has worked with our company before. I will notify him of the invitation to perform. Please leave contact information."

Upon hearing this, George gave Dhiren Kumar the hotel's number and said, "Let's hold auditions at your company headquarters. We are staying at a hotel in Mumbai these days and are not prepared in that regard."

"No problem, we can do that." Afterward, the three engaged in a series of farewell pleasantries, politely bidding farewell to Dhiren Kumar.

Lyman lazily sat back in his seat, letting out a sigh of relief. They had finally found a local production company to assist with the film's shooting. With their support, the production was bound to improve significantly.