Paul Schrader (writer of classics Taxi Driver and Raging Bull) feels the U.S. film market has become "barren," and has packed his bags for Mumbai, set to write and direct the Bollywood action movie Extreme City, according to Variety.

"I've been getting indie movies made for 20 years," he said. "But I take a good look around and what I see is a barren, barren place -- in terms of the financial community, in terms of audiences, in terms of distribution. It's cold out there."

In India, on the other hand, he says there are ways to gain both creative freedom and audiences.

Extreme City is a cross-cultural tale that will center on an American man who travels to India to help resolve a kidnapping case for his father-in-law, only to get caught up in a gangster plot.

There likely will be some musical numbers, and dialogue will be spoken in English and Hindi. Schrader is working on the script.

While the story combines various elements, it's "not a Masala movie," Schrader said, referring to the term for a kitchen-sink Bollywood film that tosses in action, romance, family drama and other genres in one big stew.

Extreme City will be produced by Anubhav Sinha, the noted Indian director (he most recently directed the Bollywood action movie Cash) who is looking to grow his producing slate and evolve from a more action orientation.

Schrader and Sinha are in talks with a number of Bollywood stars; the movie could get greenlighted at a bigger Bollywood studio or go the indie route.

No production date has been set.