When Bollywood crossed borders and connected with international audience

As India celebrated its 66th Republic Day two events seemed surprising One was the random rain during the RDay parade in New Delhi and another Barack Obamas presence as chief guest making him the first US president to do so However one factor is common to all national day celebrations in our country Bollywood songsDuring his address at the Siri Fort in Delhi Obama chose a popular line from the Shah Rukh KhanKajol starrer Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge to make a point about geopolitics In fact Hindi cinema seldom gets its due credit for fostering patriotism through feisty lyrics In similar fashion Bollywoods emotional influence among nondiaspora populace abroad is a story that seldom gets noted That also makes Obamas decision to paraphrase a dialogue from Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge 1995 mdash Senorita bade bade deshon meinhellip mdash quite interesting hitlist points out some random facts and anecdotes from recent or distant past to emphasise Hindi films cultural influencehellipSocialist tiesSoviet Union might be a thing of nostalgic past but Raj Kapoors films are still in vogue Even today a generation of cinephiles from countries like Russia Uzbekistan Tajikistan or Turkmenistan are likely to churn out playful numbers mdash say Mera joota hai Japani mdash from movies like Awara 1951 and Shree 420 1955 in thick accent This magical cinematic affair has something to do with the fact that the Soviet government loved Raj Kapoors socialistleaning films as they didnt promote anarchyAfghanistans connect with Hindi cinema goes far beyond this Amitabh Bachchan and Sridevistarrer Khuda Gawah 1992 Language no barShashi Tharoor while talking to us reminisced that during his UN work in Senegal he came across an illiterate village woman who took a bus every month to Dakar to watch a Bollywood movie She neither understood the dialogues nor could she read the French subtitles But then it didnt matter to her as she loved the singing dancing and action on the big screen The story is understood and she goes home with stars in her eyes about India and its culture added the MPAishwarya Rai BachchanAll the rageWho doesnt know Big B Try asking this question during your visit to Egypt Apparently the ageless superstar is a very popular figure in the land of Pyramids So much so that a taxi driver on the streets of Cairo is most likely to ask How is Amitabh Bachchan doing on knowing your Indian origin His popularity owes to the screenings of his films from the 70s when his angry young man image was in flourish Interestingly he is still young in that politically angry countryMother India 1957 is one of the most watched Hindi films in Nigeria and Ethiopia Written in the starsDid you know its illegal to watch Hollywood films in North Korea And this has been the case even before Seth Rogen and James Francos latest comedy The Interview got embroiled in the recent controversy Regardless in 2007 North Koreas government did something exceptionally different from the routine by screening Aamir Khans Taare Zameen Par to celebrate 40 years of New Delhis diplomatic relations with Pyongyang Whats more intriguing is that it was the Koreans who selected that movieRaj Kapoor happens to be a popular figure in former Soviet Union nationsNot really an islandJacqueline Fernandez isnt the only thing Sri Lankan about Bollywood In our neighbouring country Bollywood films mdash not Tamil films although they are closer geographically mdash happen to be a huge draw One of the reasons why Hindi film stars are perceived as icons among youth especially in urban areas Like a retired diplomat once stated Hindi films have done more to bring people of these two countries closer than high commissions with colonial hangoverJacqueline Fernandez isnt the only thing Sri Lankan about BollywoodBy hook or crookNot a year goes by without the Pakistan government banning a handful of Indian films read Bollywood for sensitive reasons Nonetheless that doesnt stop our neighbours across the border from watching the films theyd love to spend their time on Even if that means downloading them illegally or procuring pirated DVDs Several spots in Lahore and Karachi are famous dens for pirated DVDs of Bollywood films mdash both that releases as well as doesnt in the countryChinese takeawayAccording to legend two of the most popular modern Indian figures in China have been Tagore and Gandhi for years now But going by the current trend Bollywood films are gradually picking up So much so 3 Idiots 2009s unexpected popularity in the mainland is a stuff of legend now The films heartwarming story about Indias education system struck a chord And thats along with a number of Hindi film songs that were rendered by Chinese on TV talent shows in recent memoryOn the watchIts easy to call Afghanistan a warravaged nation with a major chunk of it struggling with electricity issues But at the same time change is on its way and entertainment is gradually making a comebackWhich is also why Bollywoods reference point is no more limited to Khuda Gawah 1992 because it not only starred Amitabh Bachchan as a Pathan but also shot extensively in Kabul As of today Afghans are increasingly tuning in to watch Hindi films mdash either through TV or pirated DVDs mdash as a source of weekly recreation