Mpiletso Motumi
Orlando resident Nteboheng Monamoli, 24, was pleasantly surprised when he arrived at Maponya Mall to a colourful showcase of Indian dance.
This is where the stage was set for “Bollywood Comes to Soweto”, an exhibition that is part of the ongoing Festival of India in South Africa. The exhibition showcases Indian films through posters that trace the history of Hindi cinema – from the silent era nearly a century ago to the tech-savvy and special-effects-laden films of the past few years.
Lifesize cardboard cut-outs of Bollywood stars helped Mampitla Mofokeng, 34, of Pimville recognise some of the faces she’s seen on TV. “A lot of them are familiar, I love watching Indian films, I am a big fan of Amitabh Bachchan.
“This is very interesting, it’s unusual for us because we only ever see this on TV,” she said.
There was also a screening of a selection of popular clips from Hindi movies as well as mannequins dressed in film costumes.
Monamoli had a good time at the exhibition. “I’m checking out classics I used to watch on SABC 3. I loved watching Devdas, starring Aishwarya Rai, and I am keen to see Lagaan,” he said.
The exhibition was conceptualised and implemented by Routes2Roots, an Indian NGO active in fostering cultural exchanges between the Indian subcontinent and other countries.
It held similar exhibitions in China and Russia earlier this year. The exhibition moves to Durban on Friday and Saturday.
Choreographer and music compiler Kalpana Verma said: “We brought the show to Soweto because it has a lot of Indian culture; a large percentage of the Indian community is in Soweto and it’s one of the places Mahatma Gandhi came to visit.”