Film-makers must target Indian diaspora for bigger business: Boman Irani

Versatile actor Boman Irani says the Indian diaspora is a huge market for Bollywood films, and film-makers should tap that for wider reach and bigger business.

"Diaspora is a huge market for us (Bollywood films) and we underestimate its power, totally", the 54-year-old, who will be next seen in Shah Rukh Khan-starrer "Happy New Year", said before leaving for SLAM! THE TOUR.

"They are not the extended audience, but very much part of our main audiences. We have to respect that fact", he added.

According to a report, the Indian population in the US has increased exponentially over the past few years to become the second largest group after the Chinese, with over 2,800,000 Indian Americans.

Keeping the fact in mind, "Happy New Year" team has embarked on a multi-city tour, which started Friday at Toyota Center, Houston, to woo the NRI audiences and create a buzz about the heist drama coming out on Diwali.

"The fact that our tour got a positive response even before it started proves how important is the diaspora market for us and for anybody", Boman Irani commented.

Boman Irani Pictures