India could be another hot spot for foreign filmmakers as the government has simplified the procedure for shooting international films in the country.

Under the new system, processing of application for granting permission, in consultation with Ministry of Home Affairs, won't take more than three weeks, P.R. Dasmunsi, minister of information & broadcasting, said in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha Monday.

But those which are to be shot in sensitive areas and deal with delicate issues will require extra time and special permission.

If the film requires shooting in sensitive areas of Jammu and Kashmir, northeast India or border areas, the application will be considered for specific approval in consultation with the ministry. And in such cases clearing of applications would require more time to process, added Dasmunsi.

Further, if the issue (s) dealt in the film relate to communal subjects, human rights, tribal, nuclear and defence related issues, considered provocative or sensitive from economic, social and political angle, permission would require prior consultation with the ministry.

The ministry added that Pakistan had not yet lifted the ban on Indian films. The ban has been in force since the 1965 India-Pakistan war.

However, they made an exception for the screening of the coloured version of "Mughal-E-Azam" and Akbar Khan's historical drama "Taj Mahal - An Eternal Love Story" last year.