(HawaiiNewsNow) - The Honolulu Museum of Art kicks off the New Year on a sumptuous note with its sixth Bollywood Film Festival, showcase the global impact of contemporary Bollywood and will honor some of India's greatest pioneers in romance and melodrama.
The popularity and influence of Bollywood films continue to grow. "This has been an important year for Indian cinema on the world stage," says Abigail Algar, Film Curator at the Doris Duke Theatre. "Many of Bollywood's major releases have enjoyed worldwide success, boasting international casts and locations that include London, Dublin, and New York." As the geographical scope of Indian films has expanded, so have the themes and stories.
This year's festival celebrates the international flavor of contemporary Indian filmmaking as well as its deep-rooted cultural traditions and global influence. From a language-confused comedy and a delicately threaded morality tale to a Chaplin-inspired love story and a foodie film, the 6th annual Bollywood Film Festival offers an enjoyable assortment of romance.
The festival opens Jan. 12 with a pre-screening reception that includes food by Himalayan Kitchen, beer, and wine for purchase. The event also includes a performance by Indian dance troupe Aaja Nachl. The opening night film, English Vinglish, set in New York, is an entertaining testament to Bollywood's growing global appeal. Tickets are $15 general admission, $12 museum members.
This year saw the sudden death of two Bollywood icons-India's "original superstar" Rajesh Khanna and mega-hit director Yash Chopra, known as the "King of Romance." With their loss, Bollywood may never be the same. Khanna was the number-one romantic lead in the 1970s and the record holder for the most consecutive box office hits. Chopra single-handedly generated an era of romance-based entertainment.
The Doris Duke Theatre pays tribute to Yash Chopra by screening his megahit Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge-starring superstar Shahrukh Khan on Jan.15 and 16.
"It has been a sad year for Bollywood fans, and we hope the festival will give them a chance to get together and salute their achievements," says Algar.
Schedule:
Film: 6th Annual Bollywood Film Festival - Jan. 12-24
English Vinglish
Directed by Gauri Shinde. India, 2012, 134 mins. English | Tamil | Hindi | Telugu with English subtitles. Hawai'i premiere
Jan 12 at 12:30 + 7:30pm, Jan 13 at 4 + 7:30pm
Legendary Indian actress Sridevi returns to the screen in this enchanting New York-set comedy about an Indian housewife who decides to learn English.
Opening-night reception: Jan. 12, 6-7:30pm. Enjoy Indian food for purchase; along with wine, beer, and soda. Local dance group, Aaja Nachl will perform before the screening at 7:30pm. Tickets: $15, $12 for museum members.
Gattu
Directed by Rajan Khosa. India, 2011, 79 mins. Hindi with English subtitles. Hawai'i premiere
Jan 13 at 1pm, Jan 20 at 4 + 7:30pm
An illiterate orphan bluffs his way into school to defeat the mysterious black kite that dominates the sky above his small kite-obsessed town.
Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge
Directed by Aditya Chopra, India, 1995, 192 mins. Hindi with English subtitles
Jan 15 + 16 at 12:30 + 7:30pm
This classic Bollywood rom-com catapulted Shahrukh Khan to superstardom as a rich playboy who falls for a prim and proper girl while on a European vacation.
Barfi!
Directed by Anurag Basu, India, 2012, 151 mins Hindi with English subtitles
Jan 17 + 18 at 12:30 + 7:30pm
India's official Oscar entry tells a Chaplinesque tale of a deaf-and-mute charmer who gets entangled with an autistic girl and a spoiled heiress.
Cocktail
Directed by Homi Adajania. India, 2012, 146 mins. Hindi with English subtitles.
Jan 19 at 12:30, 4 + 7:30pm
An incorrigible flirt, a traditional girl and a spoilt bombshell are the perfect housemates until friendship becomes confusing, and love becomes complicated!
Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana
Directed by Sameer Sharma, India, 2012, 150 mins. Hindi and English with English subtitles Jan 22 + 23 at 12:30 + 7:30pm
In this delectable tale of love, legacy, affection and food, a quirky Punjabi family sets out to recover the secret recipe for chicken khurana.
Jab Tak Hai Jaan (Til My Last Breath)
Directed by Yash Chopra, 2012, 176 mins. In Hindi with English subtitles. Hawai'i premiere. Jan. 24 at 12:30 + 7:30pm
Legendary Bollywood filmmaker-producer Yash Chopra's last film, Jab Tak Hai Jaan, was released just weeks after his untimely passing on Oct. 21. This landmark in Indian cinema has been one of the most highly anticipated Bollywood love stories of the decade. After finding and losing his true love Meera (Katrina Kaif) in London, Samar Anand (Shah Rukh Khan) becomes a bomb disposal expert for the Indian Army. Returning to London after 10 years, he has an accident that results in amnesia. Will he be reunited with his love?
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