Looking back if I try to summarise, how the 6th Annual Bollywood Fest the Indian dance and film festival.2008 Norway has been received, by the local Asians and Norwegian public so one word comes to my mind “Stupendous”. No let’s try another word “Fantabulous”. You would be wondering what this word is? So yes it is Fantastic plus Fabulous amalgamated into each other. That’s how I would like to describe the above festival.
They say - the Rome was not build in a day. So the saying goes that it took almost six years to one man’s junoonpan, obsession or pure love for the Indian film industry to create this magic in an isolated Scandinavian city called Oslo. Mr. Nasrullah Qureshi is one such man who started with a very humble beginning a very brave step to create the Annual Indian film festival in Oslo. Over the years, many noted celebrities have descended in Oslo all the way from Mumbai. This year was no exception. It was veteran actor Anil Kapoor, together with voluptuous Neha Dhupia. They are also joined by Siraj Zaidi, an Indian born; Ireland based international actor. It was shear generosity of the festival host Mr. Qureshi who rolled the red carpets and chauffeured the guest in S class Mercedes Benz for the entire duration of the festival. The local Norwegians and Asian audience enjoy the feast of latest and not so latest but classical Indian films.
Leafing through the pages of the excellently put together programme book let by Pritpal Qureshi one would read that all in all there were 27 films screened over a week long programme over two major film sites of Cinemateket Oslo and the suburb of Lørenskog Kino. There were latest titles such as Mission Istanbul, “Ghandi My father”, Tare Zameen Par, Race, Om Shanti Om, Jab We Met, Sarkar Raj, “God Tuse Great Ho”, Kismat Connection, Love Story 2050, Maan Gauye Mughal- e -Azam, Jodha Akbar, Guide an all time super hit Indian classic and exceptionally remarkable super hit Pakistani and most pertinent film of it’s time “Khuda ke Liye” to name the few.
And not to forget the dance part of the festival at the opening day, there were a variety of mix culture. Like traditional Indian classical, Norwegian folk dance and obviously hot Bollywood dance. There was also alive dance before film start, and free dance workshop for whom they will learn to dance Bollywood style..
The festival was inaugurated by the Lørenskog Mayor Mr Aage Tovan, and Mr. Anil Kapoor.
It is a unique Indian film festival in the world, as it also embraces the live Indian classical and popular Bollywood dance performances that too progressed into workshops, whereby the local Scandinavians can shake their legs and arms and learn a bit about the India dance. This is a genuine and spreading craze among the young Europeans and Scandinavians.
For the first time in the history of Norwegian Bollywood film screening twelve Indian films were being played simultaneously in a cinema complex in Oslo and Lørenskog. It was a staggering achievement for a small festival. Executed and manage by small under funded team of expatriate Indian and Pakistani member of the local community and their common love for Bollywood Films.
I would give full marks and hats off to the volunteers and the exceptionally courteous and generous director of the festival Mr. Nasrullah Qureshi who were truly successed once again in the sixth year creating Oslo mein Bollywood …like jangal mein Mungal ..same thing |
