Bollywood panel discussion evokes interest among participants

New York, July 15 (UNI) ''Bollywood Mein Hindi,'' a compilation of various scenes from Indian films, participation by legends like Gulzar, writings by NRIs, the screening of the Indian films and a couple of cultural programmes were the highlights of the second day events at the three-day Eighth World Hindi Conference yesterday.

It was perhaps the largest crowd that participated and interacted in the panel discussion on the role of Hindi films in propagation of the language. "Bollywood Mein Hindi," a compilation of various film scenes, also attracted a large audience.

Veteran film writer Gulzar described the knowledgeable and interactive audience at the panel discussion as interesting.

''There's a full time filmi atmosphere here now,'' he said.

He drew a comparison between films and cricket saying both attract comments from the commonman. The success or the failure of a movie or a game has always been critically analysed by the public.

Gulzar cautioned the audience about the limitations of Bollywood and other Indian-language films. ''Cinema is not a reformer, but a recorder,'' he said and added ''But it has an effect.'' He also pointed out that the Hindi films have connectivity in India saying wherever one goes, one feels at home (by speaking Hindi) even when one does not speak the local language.

''This certainly is cinema's contribution,'' Gulzar observed.

Ghazal singer Pankaj Udhas narrated an episode in which he said a non-desi taxi driver identified him and began singing one of his ghazals to the merriment of Udhas. ''This is the effect of music and this is the effect of Bollywood,''he said.

The ghazal singer sang briefly his famous line ''chitthi aayee hai watan se chitthi aayee hai.'' as the audience also joined him and gave a round of applause.

Other participants said the popularity of Hindi outside the country depends upon Bollywood films as it has surpassed Hollywood in worldwide popularity. Fifty crore speak Hindi as their first language and at least 30 crore more understand it, they said.

It was also stated that Bollywood is a misnomer to describe Hindi and other Indian language films. ''We don't imitate Hollywood and are no longer concentrated in Mumbai'' one of them said.

''Bollywood Mei Hindi,'' whose DVDs have been distributed among the participants, was another attraction. Comments from personalities such as Amitabh Bachchan and Hema Malini were included in the specially compiled film. The duo, along with others in the film, also greeted the Hindi conference participants.

UNI