Academic speaks out on Western appeal of Bollywood films

Abu Dhabi: The western audience of Bollywood films is not concerned about the quality of the film but is interested in the stars, said a prominent academic at a seminar on Indian films in the capital on Saturday.

"Still, they are fed up with the films centred around middle class Punjabi youngsters settled in the west; and the British Asians who are the major audience of Bollywood films abroad may not accept such stereotypes anymore," said Dr. Anil Sinanan, Senior Lecturer in Law/Solicitor at London Metropolitan University, at the seminar organised by Indian Embassy and Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH) as part of an Indian Film festival which is in progress in the capital.

The other speakers also agreed that Bollywood films are urban-centric which do not reflect the rural India unlike they did earlier.

Unlike Bollywood, other Indian regional films like Tamil cinema go to rural backgrounds, said Professor Rachel Dwyer, Professor of Indian Cultures and Cinema Department of South Asia at University of London.