Bollywood movie on the life of Jesus Christ

The Indian film industry for the first time will shoot a movie on the life of Jesus Christ.

Produced by Aditya Productions, the movie at the cost of $30 million is said to be India's highest budget movie.

The shooting will begin in the Holy Land in October and will be released in English and three Indian languages in 2011.

The film, directed by famed Indian director Singeetham Srinivasa Rao, depicts the story of Jesus Christ from his birth, till his death and resurrection.

The producer of the movie, Konda Krishnam Raju, told media it is the first time in the "79-year history of the Bollywood film industry" a movie on Jesus Christ is being made.

The film will use child actors and will include seven devotional songs. Academy-award-nominated Christien Tinsley, who worked on The Passion of the Christ, has been hired to work on the make-up effects.

South Indian star Pawan Kalyan will narrate the Telugu and Malayalam versions. The filmmakers are still to disclose the cast of the Hindi and English versions.

"There are millions of people in India who follow Christianity. It is a great faith. There is a great audience for such a film," said Kalyan.

The producers have been granted special permission to film in Bethlehem and also Jericho.

Director Rao told reporters that he hoped the film would spread "the message of love and peace" around the world.