Colombia, a nation with a population of about 46 million, is, like many South American countries, known for its love of football.
Less well-known is its passion for Bollywood – one of India’s dominant cultural forces – which has triggered a sort of cultural invasion in a country thousands of miles away.
“Bollywood films find a suitable ground in Colombia because of the things we have in common,” says Roberto Restrepo, a Colombian documentary director and producer based in Bogotá. “For instance, we, like Indians, are not an individualistic-orientated society.
"For us, family is more important than individual interests. We share such values, and so Colombians find it appealing to see them on screen and they are usually displayed in Indian films," adds the filmmaker, whose documentary about the river Ganges, Jala – A Journey Through the Senses of Water, is due to be released soon.
With their romantic and dramatic themes, foot-tapping songs and emphasis on family values, Bollywood films have conquered the hearts of Colombians, now some of the biggest fans of Indian movies in Latin America.
Cristhian Salamanca, the president of the Bogotá-based Amigos de India (Friends of India) association, agrees.
"Movies from India get a lot of attention, he says. "Many people in Colombia are aware of the Bollywood style of storytelling." Promoting cultural exchange
Amigos de India, which has the support of the Indian embassy, aims to promote friendship between the two countries. The association, one of the biggest Spanish-speaking groups promoting Indian culture, hosts cultural activities, organises Bollywood dance shows and screens movies to raise the profile of the genre and feed the growing demand for all things Bollywood.
“We are working to bring more Indian movies to Colombia by next year,” Salamanca says.
Reflecting on the cultural influence of Indian films, Claudia Vega, the co-founder of Amigos de India, says Bollywood – filled as it often is with themes of joy and love – not only “offers an escape mechanism to a weary audience” but can also help reignite a love of family values.
“In the past five or six years, Bollywood has started to gain more and more fans in Colombia,” Vega says. “A few local channels also telecast Bollywood movies. Colombia can be a good market for Indian movies because of the family values shown in them.”
“For most Colombians, Bollywood is a magical world where there is only joy and love,” says Katherine Z Cristancho, a passionate proponent of Bollywood-style dance and a fan of the actresses Kajol and Rani Mukerji. “The themes, especially romantic dramas and musicals, have a mass following among the younger generation.”
The popularity of Indian cinema in Colombia has shot up noticeably in the past few years, despite a small Indian population in Colombia of about 250.
This is reflected in the fact that 15 Bollywood films were screened at the 2007 Bogotá Film Festival. In 2009, India was the guest of honour at the festival. In August, an exclusive premiere of The Lunchbox, starring Irrfan Khan, was organised in Bogotá by Amigos de India.
A big song and dance
Colombians love Bollywood-style dance, says Cristancho, and the genre is a hit with Colombian girls because of the “typical choreography, full of gestures and sentiments”.
Natalia Giraldo Serrano, a Colombian Bollywood dancer and teacher who goes by her professional name of Shanti Svadasi, says she gets a steady flow of students keen to learn the fusion art of Bollywood dance.
“I think Colombians really relate to Bollywood love stories, and dances and choreographies are very energetic – Latin people love energetic dances,” she says.
“Bollywood dances give Colombian girls an opportunity to enjoy their femininity with something different from belly dance.”
artslife@thenational.ae
Fireball
Moscow claimed it hit the largest military fuel storage facility in Ukraine, triggering a huge fireball at the site.
A plume of black smoke rose from a fuel storage facility in the village of Kalynivka outside Kyiv on Friday after Russia said it had destroyed the military site with Kalibr cruise missiles.
"On the evening of March 24, Kalibr high-precision sea-based cruise missiles attacked a fuel base in the village of Kalynivka near Kyiv," the Russian defence ministry said in a statement.
Ukraine confirmed the strike, saying the village some 40 kilometres south-west of Kyiv was targeted.
Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
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Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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EXPATS
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The specs
Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed
Power: 271 and 409 horsepower
Torque: 385 and 650Nm
Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
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SPECS
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The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
Bio
Age: 25
Town: Al Diqdaqah – Ras Al Khaimah
Education: Bachelors degree in mechanical engineering
Favourite colour: White
Favourite place in the UAE: Downtown Dubai
Favourite book: A Life in Administration by Ghazi Al Gosaibi.
First owned baking book: How to Be a Domestic Goddess by Nigella Lawson.
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PROFILE OF SWVL
Started: April 2017
Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
Size: 450 employees
Investment: approximately $80 million
Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani
Results:
6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-2 (PA) | Group 1 US$75,000 (Dirt) | 2,200 metres
Winner: Goshawke, Fernando Jara (jockey), Ali Rashid Al Raihe (trainer)
7.05pm: UAE 1000 Guineas (TB) | Listed $250,000 (D) | 1,600m
Winner: Silva, Oisin Murphy, Pia Brendt
7.40pm: Meydan Classic Trial (TB) | Conditions $100,000 (Turf) | 1,400m
Winner: Golden Jaguar, Connor Beasley, Ahmad bin Harmash
8.15pm: Al Shindagha Sprint (TB) | Group 3 $200,000 (D) | 1,200m
Winner: Drafted, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
8.50pm: Handicap (TB) | $175,000 (D) | 1,600m
Winner: Capezzano, Mickael Barzalona, Sandeep Jadhav
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) | $175,000 (T) | 2,000m
Winner: Oasis Charm, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
10pm: Handicap (TB) | $135,000 (T) | 1,600m
Winner: Escalator, Christopher Hayes, Charlie Fellowes
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Tips for avoiding trouble online
- Do not post incorrect information and beware of fake news
- Do not publish or repost racist or hate speech, yours or anyone else’s
- Do not incite violence and be careful how to phrase what you want to say
- Do not defame anyone. Have a difference of opinion with someone? Don’t attack them on social media
- Do not forget your children and monitor their online activities
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
A%20MAN%20FROM%20MOTIHARI
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A Dog's Journey
Directed by: Gail Mancuso
Starring: Dennis Quaid, Josh Gad, Marg Helgenberger, Betty Gilpin, Kathryn Prescott
3 out of 5 stars
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5