A remarkable story connecting the Himalayan city of Dehradun with Australia’s country music heartland is set to reach cinemas, with NSW Premier Chris Minns announcing a new Australia-India feature film inspired by the extraordinary journey of musician Bobby Cash.
The announcement was made at the Australian High Commission in New Delhi during a reception hosted by Australian High Commissioner to India His Excellency Philip Green OAM. Premier Minns was joined by NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey, Australia’s first Indian-origin state treasurer, as the project was unveiled as part of the growing cultural relationship between the two countries.
The film draws inspiration from Cash’s journey from the mountains of Dehradun to Tamworth, the Australian centre of country music. Two decades ago, the Indian musician arrived in Australia carrying his guitar and a passion for country music, eventually earning recognition under the memorable title of “The Indian Cowboy”.
Rather than presenting a conventional biographical account, the production will explore broader themes of migration, music, identity and belonging. At its heart is the story of an artist who travelled from the Himalayan foothills to regional Australia and discovered that music could create connections between cultures separated by thousands of kilometres.
The project brings together filmmakers and creative talent from both Australia and India. Sydney-based filmmaker Anupam Sharma will direct the feature, while award-winning NSW writer-director Victoria Wharfe McIntyre has joined the project as screenwriter. Indian producer Satish Sharma will serve as co-producer.
Premier Chris Minns said Cash’s journey reflected the depth of the relationship between India and NSW, describing the musician’s transition from Dehradun to Australian country music as an example of how people and culture can strengthen connections between the two countries.
The Premier also welcomed the opportunity for the story to be produced in NSW, bringing Australian and Indian creative talent together for a film that reflects the shared connections between the two communities.
For director Anupam Sharma, the project represents more than a film about one musician. He described Bobby Cash’s story as one that captures what India and Australia can contribute to one another, particularly through culture and creative collaboration.
The director also highlighted the significance of announcing the project at the Australian High Commission in New Delhi, saying it demonstrated how far the Australia-India relationship has developed. The film will connect two regional settings – the Himalayan landscape of Uttarakhand and regional New South Wales – through Cash’s life and music.
Cash himself sees the project as an extension of the journey that began when he left Dehradun with his guitar. Australia provided him with an audience and Tamworth gave him a distinctive place within the country’s music culture, while his Himalayan background remained an important part of his identity.
For Cash, country music has always been closely connected to personal history and place. His story challenges the idea that music belongs to only one culture or geography, showing instead how an artist can carry the sounds and experiences of one part of the world into another.
Screenwriter Victoria Wharfe McIntyre said Cash’s story appealed to her because of the contrasts running through his experience – between cultures, regions and different ideas of belonging. She sees those contrasts as a powerful foundation for exploring the complexities of identity and migration.
She described the project as an Australian-Indian story with a strong regional connection, linking the Himalayas with regional NSW while bringing together creative perspectives from both countries.
Indian co-producer Satish Sharma is particularly excited about the film’s connection to Dehradun and Uttarakhand. The region’s forests, mountains and landscapes form an important part of Cash’s origins and provide a distinctive cultural backdrop to the story.
The production also gives Dehradun and Uttarakhand an opportunity to feature in an international film project, potentially introducing the region and its cultural landscape to audiences beyond India.
The announcement comes during Premier Minns’ official visit to India, his first overseas mission as NSW Premier. The visit has focused on strengthening ties between NSW and India across trade, investment, education, technology, tourism and culture.
The film project adds another dimension to that relationship by demonstrating how the connection between the two countries extends beyond government and business. Stories involving migration, music and cultural identity can provide a different way of building understanding between communities.
Bobby Cash’s journey is particularly suited to that purpose. His path from Dehradun to Tamworth represents an unusual meeting of two places with very different cultural histories, yet his music created an audience in Australia and helped establish a personal bridge between India and the country music tradition.
With Sharma directing, Wharfe McIntyre writing and Satish Sharma producing alongside Bobby Cash, the project brings together an international creative team to tell a story rooted in both countries.
As the film moves towards production, the story of the man once known across Australia as the “Indian Cowboy” is preparing for a new chapter – this time on the big screen, connecting Dehradun, Uttarakhand and regional Australia through music, migration and identity.
