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'Some Saudis are die-hard fans of Bollywood'

Founder of Jeddah Bollywood Community Orjwan Iskander on the growing popularity of Hindi cinema in the region

That Bollywood can transcend boundaries is no secret. This year, Saudi national Orjwan Iskander started a unique community called the Jeddah Bollywood Community to bring together a group of people who could discuss and debate mainstream Hindi movies. In an interview with WKND, Orjwan talks about the rising popularity of Bollywood in the region.

When did you decide to start Jeddah Bollywood Community?
I used to feel strange because my school and the friends circle there was completely different while my family members were addicted to Bollywood. I have always wanted to be surrounded by people who can get my filmy jokes. Seven months ago, I came up with the idea of starting a club for Bollywood fans and find people who share similar tastes. I am focusing on Arabs because I want to prove that there is an Arabic-speaking fan base for Bollywood films.
The best part of our community is that we have people aged between 19 and 40. Some Saudis are actually die-hard fans of Bollywood. We started our activities three months ago. We do some competitions. Last year in July, I did a Bollywood evening where we met up, played antakshari and dumb charades. I'd like to bring down some celebrities and organise something bigger.

What is the landscape for cinema like in Saudi?
Unfortunately, we do not have many theatres. Because there are only a handful of theatres, they still focus on Hollywood movies. Some even contend that distributors don't give them movies. But when a Bollywood film does release in Saudi, most of the theatres are fully booked, depending on who the stars are. Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar and Amitabh Bachchan are best known here.

What sort of Bollywood films do Arabs typically like?
Saudis love Bollywood films that are family-oriented and have simpler stories. We really miss those days. Even now Bollywood has great content but I think everyone is noticing the change. I think Bollywood is trying to be more like Hollywood, or at least some directors are. We miss the desi culture in movies nowadays. The fashion has changed, as have the language and music.

Have you ever faced criticism for your love for Bollywood?
I have and still do. But I believe it is my responsibility to make others love what I love, and ask them to not be so judgemental. I would often be asked how can I like a typical Bollywood film, which is way too dramatic as compared to other cinema. I'd retort saying Bollywood is much more than a typical masala movie; on one hand, if there is Krrish, on the other, there's also Pink. And that's when people began to understand the scope of Bollywood.

What are some of the key activities of Jeddah Bollywood Community?
We just started a WhatsApp group where we talk about movies, discuss issues and do some fun quizzes. The best part is the meet-up where we go for movies together or any Bollywood-related events. In future, we would like to organise our own events, because why not?
anamika@khaleejtimes.com