{"id":798,"date":"2015-08-15T01:18:08","date_gmt":"2015-08-15T01:18:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.southasiantimes.com.au\/?p=798"},"modified":"2015-08-17T03:26:00","modified_gmt":"2015-08-17T03:26:00","slug":"bollywood-stars-flock-to-melbourne-for-40th-indian-film-festival","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.southasiantimes.com.au\/?p=798","title":{"rendered":"Bollywood stars flock to Melbourne for 40th Indian Film Festival"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"INDIAN<\/a>Indian cinema is known for songs, dance and bright colours but changes are being made to the iconic brand of cinema and they are on display at this year\u2019s Indian Film Festival of Melbourne.<\/p>\n

The festival is well known for bringing some of Bollywood\u2019s biggest stars to Australia and this year is no exception, with veteran Anil Kapoor visiting Australia for the first time.<\/p>\n

Mr Kapoor is keen to promote Indian cinema\u2019s shift.<\/p>\n

\u201cIndian films, Bollywood films, are kind of a mirror and they reflect the progress in our country,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

As the \u201cQuiz Master\u201d, Mr Kapoor’s role was pivotal in Slumdog Millionaire and he believes film can play a pivotal role in changing society. Particularly in relation to recent acts of violence against women in India.<\/p>\n

\u201cThings are better,\u201d he said. \u201cThe law is much stricter, people are more aware, they\u2019ve been educated, so things are changing. And that\u2019s what is going to be reflected in our films.\u201d<\/p>\n

The festival is trying to represent that change with its overarching theme of \u201cEquality\u201d.<\/p>\n

In the festival\u2019s line-up is a particular focus on gender equality, a topic movie star Simi Garewal is passionate about.<\/p>\n

Ms Garewal believes India has some way to go to bridge the gender gap.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a very hard battle for India to fight that whole patriarchal system, because basically our politicians, our law makers, are patriarchs,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Ms Garewal said she believes Indian women are too often held back.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf she wants to work, why can’t she work?\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe should have a right to do whatever she likes. It\u2019s her body, her life, and she should have a right to live it the way she wants.\u201d<\/p>\n

As one of India’s strongest women of the silver screen and television, \u00a0Ms Garewal believes the film industry must play a role in reversing inequality.<\/p>\n

\u201cFilms are so powerful, they’re so influential. We could have easily passed the message, covered in candy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you show our top hero – one of our leading heros that everybody’s crazy about – show him respecting a woman and talking about how important it is to respect a woman, and to treat her as an equal.\u201d<\/p>\n

With a career spanning 38 years, featuring 150 films, Anil Kapoor knows a thing or two about the importance of female protagonists in Bollywood. His own daughter, Sonam Kapoor, has become a leading lady.<\/p>\n

The striking 30-year-old said film runs through her family and she\u2019s never known anything else.<\/p>\n

In the past 10 years, she\u2019s been in 11 films.<\/p>\n

My roles that I’ve chosen actually are very strong, female roles,\u201d Ms Kapoor said.<\/p>\n

Something her father is very proud of.<\/p>\n

\u201cI worship women, I love them,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd I’m so proud, because I have two daughters and they’re both independent and doing well for themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

The film festival\u2019s launch coincides with India’s Independence Day, and true to old-school Bollywood style, it’ll be one big celebration, with a flag raising ceremony, dance competition and awards night.<\/p>\n

The festival runs until August 27th<\/span><\/sup>.<\/p>\n

Source: SBS<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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