Bollywood’s big boys expect the success of Slumdog Millionaire, which won eight Oscars at the Academy Awards ceremony today, to give film production houses a big opportunity to carve a niche market for films with Indian actors, stories, music and style that appeal to a larger audience in the US, instead of just the Indian diaspora.

Other producers said the success of the movie will not change Bollywood. But it will make producers in Hollywood realise that a new opportunity has emerged. “Bollywood movies are meant for Indian audiences. Slumdog was made for western audiences. But its success shows that there is an opportunity for Hollywood to take up Indian themes, cast and technicians and make a movie that is of world standard and which works,” said film producer Bobby Bedi.

There are, of course, immediate beneficiaries from the movie’s success — the technicians, and musicians like A R Rahman from India who have now entered the global centrestage. “The Oscar for the original music score puts India on the music map of the world. Earlier, the West identified Indian music with Ravi Shankar. It’s a good thing the award has gone to music that is popular. It will give recognition to musicians here,” said Ehsaan Noorani (of the music director trio Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy).

Industry experts reckon that Rahman’s price (he is the most expensive and charges around Rs 5 crore) would go up at least 50 per cent, if not more, after he has bagged the Oscar for the best original score.

Freida Pinto, the girl-next-door in Slumdog, has become an instant Hollywood celebrity and is commanding big bucks already. Her endorsement fees have shot up from a mere Rs 20 lakh before the movies to Rs 1.3 crore.

“Freida has received a very big Hollywood offer that is likely to be announced soon and will dramatically increase her endorsement fees,” said Anirban Das Blah, chief executive of Globosports, a celebrity management firm handling her endorsement contracts.