Toronto: If the Toronto International Film Festival had a strong Indian flavour this year, the spice was added by a programmer in charge of films from south Asia, Cameron Bailey, who brought in Bollywood.
"It's such an important part of world popular cinema, we felt we should have it. And we have a big audience here in Toronto that's already familiar with this cinema, which we wanted to bring into the mainstream of the festival. We were able to have a gala presentation with over two thousand screaming fans with Shah Rukh Khan and Mr Amitabh Bachchan in attendance. That's exactly the kind of event we want at the festival,” said Bailey.
But his interest goes beyond just Bollywood. Bailey made two trips to India in the last 12 months, watching over 100 Indian films in various languages during this period.
The result was smaller films like Chitra Palekar's Maati Maay, Rajnesh Domalpalli's Vanaja and a documentary from Manipur, A Cry in the Dark, stepped onto the global stage.
“It's the variety of cinema in India that's striking. You get a range of cinema just in one country that you get in almost the whole of western Europe,” said Bailey.
The organizers' faith in Indian cinema paid off. While blockbusters like Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna drew hordes of screaming fans, rivaling Brad Pitt and Russell Crowe's appearances in Toronto, other films also played to sold out halls and received positive feedback.
With its successful experience with Indian cinema this year, the Toronto International Film Festival plans to strengthen its association with India further next year, adding a focus on south Indian cinema.
So Rajnikanth fans will have something to scream about along with Shah Rukh Khan's fans.
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