Despite having the most prolific film industry in the world, Indian cinema, or Bollywood as it's jokingly called, is a relatively unknown phenomenon here. Similar to the Golden Age of Hollywood B-movies, Hindi cinema concerns itself more with quantity than quality. Roughly 1,000 films are churned out every year from Bombay-based studios such as Film City and the aptly named Fantasyland.
Melodramatic, kitsch and formulaic, they are critically derided for their tenuous grip on plot, their surreal and elaborate song and dance routines, and often simply for their length (the average clocks in at about two and a half to three hours). Yet their stars are glamour incarnate, treated like demi-gods. Indian films are hugely popular worldwide, with devoted fans in the Middle East, Russia, China and Africa.
Last year, for the first time, an unsubtitled Hindi film, Dil Se, made it into the UK's box office charts. The Asian population in Britain is, of course, far greater than in Ireland. There are perhaps 400 Asian families living in the greater Dublin area. This weekend, however, the IFC hosts what organiser Siraj Zaidi hopes will soon become a regular occurrence. Today and tomorrow morning, Bollywood comes to Dublin.
Prompted by repeated requests from the Asian community, Zaidi, a documentary maker, has spent more than a year, and a lot of his own money, organising this. Although you can get your Bollywood fixes from Channel 4 or cable channel ZTV, nothing compares to seeing Hindi films on the big screen. Adding to the sense of occasion, India's ambassador to Ireland, Chokila Iyer will be there on Saturday to inaugurate.
Talking to Zaidi, one senses that part of the appeal of organising this, peer pressure aside, is the sheer symmetry of it all. Growing up in Anglophile India, he spent his Saturday mornings at the Mayfair cinema, watching English and American movies. He now hopes to see Bollywood features become a regular part of Dublin's cultural life. If this weekend is a success, the plan is to screen Hindi films at least two weekends a month.
This weekend's film, Biwi No. 1, was released in Bombay in May. It is a family film, directed by David Dhawan, Bombay's king of comedy apparently, and starring Karisma Kapoor, auteur/actor Raj Kapoor's grand-daughter. The word biwi means wife, and the story concerns an errant husband, and his wife's plot to win him back. The action takes place in the US, India and Switzerland.
International locations are increasingly common in Bollywood films, with Switzerland particularly popular. One explanation is that for most Asian cinema-goers, these films are the only chance they get to see the world. This, then, is education and aspiration combined. A more prosaic explanation involves shady rumours concerning Bollywood budgets, the alleged involvement of India's crime moguls, and the lure of Swiss bank accounts. Whatever. It all adds to the dubious glamour of the movie business.
Of course, it's not all tawdry glitz. Indian cinema has addressed social issues throughout its history. Satyajit Ray in the 1960s, and more recently Meera Nair, have made humane and politically aware films to international acclaim. This is an interesting time for the Indian film industry. Modern filmmakers, both male and female, are influenced more by MTV India, and by the international market than by the mores of post-Raj India. Managing to eschew the cheesy escapist traditions while still coming up with culturally relevant entertainment is a tricky balancing act, but one that is fascinating to watch.
Biwi No. 1 is at the IFC, Dublin, today (cinema 1) and tomorrow, both at 11.30 a.m. (cinema 2). Information: Tel 01 6793477