Bollywood classics screened at Indian Film Festival in Cairo

Bollywood films are becoming popular in Egypt and steps are being taken to bring Indian movies, including classics like "Sangam", "Mother India" and others, onto the big screen, the Indian envoy has said here.
India's Ambassador to Egypt Sanjay Bhattacharyya and popular Egyptian star Rania Farid Shawky were speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the Indian Film Festival at Al- Hanager cinema, which also saw participation from many Bollywood fans.
The festival, which is organised by the Maulana Azad Centre for Indian Culture (MACIC) of the Embassy of India in Cairo, in collaboration with the Culture Development Fund of the Egyptian Ministry of Culture, runs until November 2, presenting a variety of Indian films.

The Film Festival features an eclectic mix of contemporary and evergreen Hindi films featuring leading stars Shahrukh Khan to Amitabh Bachchan and others. The films include "Devdas", "Mera Naam Joker", "Drishyam", "Mother India", "Black", "Swades" and "Sangam".
The Indian Embassy had organised other festivals like the Tagore festival (last May), which had shown five films of Tagore, but this is the first time this year to hold an Indian film festival showing different films.
"We wanted to bring Indian movies onto the big screen because in Egypt you see them only on the television so that is why we wanted to bring some old Classic films like Sangam, Mother India and others which are very well known and some contemporary films," Bhattacharyya told PTI.

"We took all the films which are with English subtitles so that they are easy to understand. They are all award- winning films and some of them are very well known," the Ambassador said.

The Ambassador also said that there are plans to have regular Indian films showing in Al-Hanager Cinema in future.
"We would like to have regular screening of Indian films on regular bases at least once a month, we'd also like to have retrospectives of some of the very well-known directors," the Ambassador added.
There is a Film Club at MACIC, where Indian films are screened twice a month and people have discussions on them.

"We'd also like to being films other than Bollywood so that the regional films which are actually gaining popularity can also be shown in Egypt," the Ambassador said.
Well-known Egyptian actress Rania Farid Shawky told PTI that Indian movies have a great viewership and a large number of fans in Egypt.
"During the last period the Indian movies became rarely screened in Egyptian cinemas but, currently the movies started to make a comeback to Egyptian cinemas. This is great but we need more," said the actress.
Shawky also added that on the other side Indian series are gaining more and more audience and are making great success in Egypt.

Shawky, daughter of late legendary actor Farid Shawky, said that she likes the Indian movies very much.
"Indian movies are a blend of happiness, tears and laughter, it moves all one's feelings in one time. As for dances and singing, they are another enjoyment," she added.
"The Indian movies play on fundamental themes in human lives like injustice and passion, and they take all your attention," said Shawky.
The film festival ends in Cairo on November 2, and starts again in Alexandrian on November 5 to November 11, where films will be screened at El Horraiya Creativity Centre in Alexandria.

India is expected to participate in the upcoming edition of the Cairo International Film Festival, which will start next month.