Julia Roberts shooting new film in India

Julia Roberts visits the Taj Mahal.Pallab Bhattacharya, New Delhi

The word is out despite attempts to keep a veil of secrecy around it. Oscar-winning Hollywood actress Julia Roberts is now in India to shoot for her next film "Eat, Pray and Love".

The 41-year-old actress, along with her three children and the entire entourage of the film are now in India.

Roberts has been joined by other members of the cast of the film, being directed by Ryan Murphy.

The story of the film, to be released next year, revolves round a divorced woman who eats in Italy, prays in India and loves in Indonesia. The shooting in Italy is already over.

The last time Roberts, who won the Academy Award for her role in "Erin Brockovich" in 2001, was in India she, was accompanied by her husband Danny Moder when the couple had visited the 17th century white marble ode to love -- the Taj Mahal in Agra.

Although the itinerary of the actress, who became film buffs' craze for her role in romantic movies like "My Best Friend's Wedding," "Pretty Woman," "Noting Hill," "Runaway Bride," as also crime thrillers like "Ocean's Eleven" and "Ocean's Twelve," was kept a closely-guarded secret, some members of the Indian paparazzi managed to click her pictures with her children at the airport.

It was not immediately clear whether Roberts, like other Hollywood celebs, will mix business with sight-seeing during her stay in India till first week of October for the shoot of "Eat, Pray, Love".

"Eat, Pray, Love," a Brad Pitt production, also features Oscar winner Javier Barderm, Billy Crudrup and Richard Jenkins.

Some of the Indians who were part of the crew of multiple Oscar-winning "Slumdog Millionaire" will also chip in for the shoot of "Eat, Pray, Love" during its shoot in India.

The main shooting is likely to be in and around the Pataudi Palace, belonging to the erstwhile prince of Pataudi and ex-Indian cricketer Mansur Ali Khan, which has been converted into a heritage hotel.

Among other locales will be a hermitage at Pataudi not far from a highway connecting Delhi with Jaipur.

"Eat, Pray, Love" is the latest manifestation of India being a popular destination for film shoot. In fact, more than 90 foreign film productions have been cleared for shooting in different locations across India over the last three years.

Permission was granted to 22 foreign film productions in 2006, 27 each in 2007 and 2008 and 17 already this year. Of these, 33 productions are of UK based organisations, 17 of US origin. The other productions relate to Bangladesh, France, Canada, Netherlands, Germany, Japan, Russia, Georgia, Italy, Israel and Pakistan among others, said an official statement.

Goa, Jaipur, Ludhiana (an industrial town in Punjab state), Pune, Panchmarhi (a hill station), Mumbai and nearby Thane and Versova, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad are some of the preferred locations for foreign film shoots in India.

The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting has streamlined the procedure for granting requisite permissions for shooting in India. The permission process normally takes not more than three weeks. The production houses are required to apply for permission of feature films/tele-films in India to the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting with details of their chosen locations and the script of the production.