Do Arabs watch Bollywood films?

Entertainment Showbiz Pakistan , Bollywood & World Entertainment
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Bollywood’s old ties with Arab world get stronger
By Abbas Al Lawati, Staff Reporter

Gulf News

Dubai: As Bollywood matures and evolves it offers a new genre of movies that is trying to shake off the old stereotypes with a new breed of actors and a bold sense of acting.

Yet that has not weakened the conventional movies that had catapulted Bollywood into the international scene, with their ill-fated love stories, elaborate song-and-dance numbers, and exaggerated violence.

An audience for such movies is still strong, and evidently, it is not only in India. Sama TV, a Dubai-based Arabic language channel, started screening Hindi movies four months ago. According to Ahmad Al Mansouri, deputy manager, a recent online survey revealed that Hindi movies were very popular among its audience.

“It was recommended we show Hindi movies, and have been doing so ever since,” said Al Mansoori.

Asad Khan, cinema manager at Grand Cineplex in Al Garhoud, said that approximately 40 per cent of its Hindi movie viewers are nationals, and felt that the popularity of Hindi movies among them is increasing.

“Some nationals start asking about certain Hindi movies as soon as their posters are up, even before they’re released,” he said, adding that the cinema has started showing more Hindi movies than before.

Natasha Sawhney, marketing manager at Cinestar Cinemas agreed, adding that she sees a trend toward Hindi movies among Arabs.

“There has always been an interest among Arabs, but it’s growing in general.”

National Shathra Ahmad, 22, has been watching Hindi movies since elementary school and claims to have picked up Hindi from them. “I can speak a little Hindi, but everything I know is from the movies,” she said. Those who can’t understand Hindi, she claims, resort to reading Arabic subtitles, which she said were often weak translations. Still, she said, many of her friends enjoy watching Hindi movies for their songs and love stories.

National Ali Sadek, 22, agreed that subtitles are weak, but claims he can “manage to understand” the movies by picking up some Arabic and Farsi words.

National Sharifa, 27, said she prefers Hindi movies over English language ones because Hindi movies are “more realistic and less violent” than English ones.

Sadek considers Amitabh Bachhan and Salman Khan his favourite actors.

According to Al Mansoori, the popularity of Hindi movies in the Gulf-Arab region is attributed to the cultural links. “The Indian culture [specifically] has had an effect on the Gulf Arabs,” he said.

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Re: Do Arabs watch Bollywood films?

Thats NEws 4 me

French Kiss .......
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Re: Do Arabs watch Bollywood films?

They do, they love the bizarre dance sequences, the scantily clad dancers, the music, and a little bit of story through the subtitles which have long been available in both arabic and english.

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Re: Do Arabs watch Bollywood films?

The Morrocan, Tunisian and Algerian cab drivers of New York know more about bollywood than many indians.

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Re: Do Arabs watch Bollywood films?

yes, i was shocked when a somalian taxi driver told that he is fan of big B and all the hindhi movies are dubbed into somalian except the songs and released in somalia but that is stopped now by islamic extremists :bummer:

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Re: Do Arabs watch Bollywood films?

My neighbor from Senegal told me that Senegalese have been used to watching Bollywood since their childhood and most Senegalese grew up watching Bollywood movies.

secret
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Re: Do Arabs watch Bollywood films?

Yes it's true as I had a friend at uni from Gambia and he knew more about Bollywood than myself.

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Re: Do Arabs watch Bollywood films?

Yeah…islamic extremist my ass…anybody following islam is a extremist now…

secret
secret
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Re: Do Arabs watch Bollywood films?

And why not the arabs watch bollywood films...they have a less of a grudge with Indians then do the Pakis...so if Pakis, who are india's arch-enemies can get off watching shahrukh with his mutli time-zoned nose and rithik's extra-digits, then why not the arabs...

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Re: Do Arabs watch Bollywood films?

Who are they ??

GAMBIA were is it ?

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Re: Do Arabs watch Bollywood films?

MY Eye=raqi coworker shows only Hindi movies to his sons of age 8-10. Only because instead of renting many Hollywood flicks, why not rent one Indian movie that gives everything for everyone in the family :rotfl:

Song ka Jawab Song se dain...
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Re: Do Arabs watch Bollywood films?

I have many arabic freinds, hell!! they are so much inspired by these dumb indians, just because CAMERA has changed human socialization from top to bottom, India is the first to take advantage of it :smiley:

I happen to see aishwariya performing for an beauty soap commercial in dubai, my Arabic friend was with me.. READ MY WORDS!!! all day she was damn sad of “what they show aishwariya on screen WAS 1 billion% TOTALLY DIFFERENT in every aspect”

:hoonh:

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Re: Do Arabs watch Bollywood films?

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

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Re: Do Arabs watch Bollywood films?

Gambia and Senegal in West Africa.

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Re: Do Arabs watch Bollywood films?

Bollywood diplomacy.... Look at Afghans....

Whether it's the historic town Bamiyan or a bustling street in Kabul, it's Bollywood movies and saas-bahu soaps that are spoken about.

Bollywood and K serials have made an inroad into war-torn Afghanistan too. Almost all afternoons see a complete halt in any sort of work that happens in Kabul. Not because it's prayer time but because a familiar tune reverberates through the almost empty streets of Kabul. It's time for Zamane Khushu Hum Arush Bood, Dari name (Afghan-Persian dialect) for what we popularly know as Kyunki Saans Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi. Tulsi, as it's popularly called here, is a must watch and is shown seven days a week and three times a day.

So what draws the Afghans to the Indian entertainment industry? Says Mariam, who works with an NGO, "From the Tulsi drama, people are learning how to lead a good family life. It also teaches parents how to behave with their children, especially the daughters-in-law." For the young Afghan women, what attracts them is that women in these soaps and movies have a voice and they express themselves freely. However it's not just the films, even fashion is what the Afghan women try to emulate from Bollywood. Says Shabnam, "We watch Indian movies and dramas and try to follow their fashion statements."

Indian customs are interesting says Farzana who works as a translator with an NGO. "My father watches Baghban every day and he loves what he sees. Such movies are free from Western influence and show how India is," she says. At the same time, Mir Mohammad, a professional with an NGO says, "Indian serials that can be watched with the whole family are more popular than the Bollywood movies.

Most of the movies are mainly for the youngsters but the serials teach a lot of things." But what seems to be ruling the roost are the 'K' serials. Even serials like Kasauti Zindagi Ki and Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki are being translated into the local language. So much is the addiction that residents of Kabul have strongly criticised the frequent power cuts in order to avoid their daily extravaganza. And a walk down a Kabul street could give one the opportunity to overhear huddled conversations about "How much more should poor Tulsi tolerate?" or even "Mihir ko sudhar jaana chahiye ab!"

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Re: Do Arabs watch Bollywood films?

growing up in the Emirates, it was common to watch hindi flicks with Arabic subtitles on television and in public settings as well..

On TV, they refer to it as "Film-al-Hindi-al-Taweel", i.e. a long Indian movie.

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Re: Do Arabs watch Bollywood films?

Bollywood movies are watched very very commonly in many different places in the world. Nigerians and many african countries are totally crazy about indian movies...they actually used to show indian movies on Saturday and Sunday on national TV.
South east asia including Malaysia and indonesia again, totally obsessed with Indian songs and movies. they don't understand a word but stiil watch them.
I also had egyption friends and they were big fan of big B.

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Re: Do Arabs watch Bollywood films?

Arabs would watch anything.. even paint dry, as long as they don't have to get off their lazy asses to go to work..