Interesting Article.
In a blow to its bid to woo more Indian film-makers to shoot or do post-production work in Singapore, Bollywood has decried Singaporean trees as being �eminently unsuitable� for their purposes.
�Not say yai say vhat,� said Bollywood spokesman Kabhikushi Kabhigam at the end of the close of the International Indian Film Academy Awards ceremony last week. �But yevery Bollyvood mowie must yinclude a scene vhere the hero dances round a tree vith the heroine. But ve cannot accept any old tree.�
According to Mr. Kabhigam, Bollywood has very specific requirements for trees.
For instance, they must be thick enough, so that the lovers can run round them without looking spastic and also provide sufficient foliage, so the lovers can take cover in a sudden rainshower that soaks the heroine�s sari right through.
�But look at Singaporean trees, da,� said Mr. Kabhigam. �Flame of the Forest, Pulai, Bauhinia, Cassia, Casuarina, all are unsuitable. Some of them, their roots are all wery unruly. Vhat happens yif Shah Rukh Khan trips and falls and breaks his famous nose? Yit vould be a catastrophe!�
�Vorse,� he continued. �Some of your trees are downright dangerous. Can you imagine Amir Khan and Preity Zinta dancing under a coconut, pong pong or heawen forbid, a durian tree? Our insurance premiums vill fly out the vindow!�
NParks has said they consider Mr. Kabhigam�s comments �useful feedback� and hope to plant more Bollywood-friendly trees in the future.
Said Nparks spokesman Dr. Cheng Tua Soo, �We are now working with the Botanic Gardens to develop a tree specifically for Bollywood. President Nathan himself has personally volunteered to help ensure that its trunk is as thick and fat as he is
