'We'll, of course, shoot the entire film in Lahore since that's where the film is located. We'll be using their infrastructure and work force. The cultural secretary and the governor of Punjab have extended whole-hearted support to our film,' said Bhatt.

The director feels Pakistan can become a leading location for Bollywood.

'But first we must shed this Pak-phobia. It took me five years to create friendship across the border before we at Vishesh Films began to collaborate with Pakistan to make films. Such things cannot happen overnight.

'I feel other filmmakers who shoot Pakistan-located films in India aren't trying hard enough. They must be more open in their interaction across the border. To touch your dreams, you need to stretch more than just your hands,' he said.

The shooting of Bhatt's ambitious India-Pakistan venture is set to start early next year.

(Subhash K. Jha can be contacted at jhasubh@gmail.com)