Thirty-one-year old Ngwa Paul Mbanga and his 26-year-old wife Marlyse Djoko Mbanga are watching a rented copy of Ramesh Behls Yeh Wada Raha in their apartment in the Greater Washington DC area of the American capital.
Mbanga, a security guard and Marlyse, employed by a superstore chain, watch Bollywood films every evening. Its an indulgence thats become part of their daily routine after work. They even have favourite actors Amitabh Bachchan and Mithun Chakravorty, a la, Disco Dancer, which became a blockbuster in their hometown Cameron, recalls Mbanga.
The Mbangas arent an exception; virtually thousands of foreigners in Washington DC and the adjoining areas of Maryland and Virginia are huge fans of Bollywood flicks. Many among them have been living on a staple diet of Bollywood for years together.
I was about 12 years old when I first saw an Indian movie in Cameron, says Mbanga. Marlyse says she was first introduced to the magic of Bollywood when she was around 13 years old. In some countries, Bollywood made it to big screens nearly half-a-century ago.
I was just nine when I first saw an Indian movie in Liberia, recalls Selma Kpadeh, 48, an electrician working in Washington. The film, he says, was black-and-white and without subtitles, but for Kpadeh, there was no turning back.
To cater to the growing demands of this unusual, burgeoning breed, nearly three dozen Indian movie rental movie shops have cropped up in Washington DC and surrounding areas. Kamna Wadhwani, along with her husband, owns a store called Bollywood Bazar in downtown Silver Spring, close to the US capital.
Wadhwani says her customers include people from China, Indonesia, Tanzania, Nigeria, South Africa, Trinidad, Guyana besides the more obvious takers Bangladeshis and Pakistanis. We also have white American customers ever since Aishwarya Rais Bride and Prejudice became a hit, she says.
Its old classics like Sita Aur Gita, Andha Kanoon, Amar Akbar Anthony, Mard and The Burning Train that are immensely in demand.
On the other hand, more recent films, and the actors performing in them, have had an enormous impact as well. A Black girl came to us. She wanted to have lunch with Shah Rukh Khan and said shed like to know how much he would charge for it, says Shanta Gupta, who works at the Bollywood Bazaar.
Wadhwani also says that sometimes customers want to rent a particular film but dont remember its name. Then, they recall lines from the films songs and simply hum.
Moreover, Bollywood film fans who bear even the slightest resemblance to Indian actors avail of benefits. Munawar Laghari looks like actor Naseeruddin Shah.
When I go to rent a movie, they dont charge me any money sometimes because they insist Im related to Shah, says Laghari.
Analysing non-Indians keen interest in Bollywoods cinema, American film expert and Entertainment Editor of India West Lisa Tsering, says its the exotic element of Bollywood that acts as a magnet, attracting international audiences. Indian movies are a little bit corny and sentimental, explains Tsering. Tsering, who is a white American, also believes that Bollywood stars are far sexier than Hollywood stars.
However, when it comes to box-office success, the fate of most Bollywood films hinges on reviews given by mainstream newspapers like the Los Angeles Times or The New York Times. This is very unfortunate, says Tsering.
Meanwhile, Bollywood film lovers continue to watch films, and criticise them too Theres a growing trend towards Americanisation. They should show Indian culture, not get dominated by the west, says Mbanga.
