Bollywood bids Bush goodbye with a parting shot
13 Jan 2009, 1025 Hrs

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Mumbai, Jan 13 Before George Bush leaves the White House, Bollywood is ready with a farewell present, a film, "The President is Coming", that takes pot shots at the outgoing U.S. President.

"The President is Coming," set in Mumbai during Bush's trip to India in 2006, tells the fictional tale of six Indians vying for a chance to shake hands with the visiting head of state.

Bush is a running theme in the film and so are 'Bushisms' - verbal slip-ups in his speeches -- that have gained notoriety during his eight-year presidency.

Kunaal Roy Kapur, the film's 29-year-old director said the film though based on Bush is talking of other six characters Indian characters and all put together to make a light-hearted entertainment.

Kunaal believes the film would touch a chord with the Indian audience, as they are quite familiar with reality shows and television programmes in America.

"I think it does appeal to younger audience in India because we are so exposed to things like American television, we are constantly been bombarded with American television, reality shows," Kapur said.

Shot in a mock documentary style, the English-language film depicts a series of farcical tests conducted in a room at the U.S. consulate to single out a young Indian worthy enough to meet Bush.

"It's a film that is done in a documentary kind of style and I think that was a style we were aiming for. The critics all around have unanimously agreed that its worth a watch so I think the audience takes to it," Kapur added.

"The President is Coming", adapted from a play of the same name, opens in Indian cinemas on Friday, just days before Barack Obama takes office on January 20 as the first black U.S. President.

Television promos for "The President is Coming" showed a person wearing a rubber Bush mask and a business suit walking past various Mumbai landmarks.

Kapur said the film, made at a cost of about 30 million rupees, would have lost much of its charm if Bush had not been the incumbent U.S. President. (ANI)