The Indian Film Company (TIFC) and Bend It Films have entered into a strategic partnership to produce Gurinder Chadha's next feature, It's A Wonderful Afterlife. The shoot of the film will taking off on 28th March, 2009 in London. The co-producers will enjoy global revenues in perpetuity.

It's A Wonderful Afterlife is a TIFC and Bend It Films presentation in association with Studio 18, and is slated for a worldwide release in early 2010. The announcement was made today by CEO - TIFC, Sandeep Bhargava, and Director - Bend It Films, Gurinder Chadha.

With this announcement, TIFC becomes the only Indian company to have forged a partnership with both the top cross-cultural directors - Mira Nair and Gurinder Chadha.

The screenplay of Afterlife is written by Gurinder and her husband Paul Mayeda Berges. London-based world sales outfit, Hanway Films, is handling overseas sales for the movie, while TIFC is releasing it in the Indian territories through Studio 18.

Chadha's previous works, Bhaji On The Beach, Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging, Bride & Prejudice and Bend It Like Beckham have made her a popular name the world over.

After a string of successful Bollywood distributions, Indian Films ventured into international film production with the Sooni Taraporevala-directed Little Zizou, a co-presentation with Mira Nair, and Road, Movie, a Dev Benegal film whose script was an official selection at Cinefondation, Cannes 2006.

Sandeep Bhargava, CEO - The Indian Films Company said, "We couldn't be more proud to join forces with Bend It Films to make this fantastic comic script into a reality.

Gurinder is an extremely talented and popular writer-director whose films have fared incredibly at the box office. Ever since our team met her in December 2008, we developed great chemistry and I'm delighted that conversations moved at a brisk pace to allow us to work together."

Chadha added, "I am thrilled to have found an Indian partner in The Indian Film Company & Studio 18, as this new film has huge international appeal for the NRI and Non-NRI audience.

It's A Wonderful Afterlife is part of a new slate of films by me that have an Indian element but are aimed at the global audience and I am excited to be working with Sandeep, Tanuj, and their colleagues on what I hope will be a long and fruitful relationship."

Afterlife will feature a top multi-cultural cast comprising of the legendary Shabana Azmi, Sendhil Ramamoorthy ('Heroes'), Shaheen Khan (Bend It Like Beckham), and other well-known international names to be announced shortly. Building on Chadha's record for discovering new talent, Afterlife introduces British-Indian theatre actress, Goldy Notay.