Two of the world’s most famous film stars are to launch a Bradford exhibition on Indian cinema this Friday.Mr Amitabh and Mrs Jaya Bachchan will officially open the event at the National Media Museum ahead of the International Indian Film Awards – known as the Bollywood Oscars- in Sheffield the next day.The exhibition will run from the 8 June until the end of September, and is curated by Senior Lecturer in Film and Media Studies at The University of Manchester, Dr Rajinder Dudrah.It will draw on collections of Bollywood posters, photographs and promotional material, film clips and unique artefacts, as well as video interviews with Bollywood audiences from the Yorkshire region.Mr Bachchan - known as ‘the Big B’- will be there with his wife Jaya, in their capacity as Indian International Film Academy ambassadors - which is supporting the exhibition.Dr Dudrah is author of Bollywood: Sociology Goes to the Movies and supervises the only Bollywood course in the country.He said: “We are thrilled that two of the greatest names in Indian cinema are opening this exhibition.“Their presence is testament to the astonishing popularity of Bollywood -which is giving Hollywood a run for its money at international box offices in terms of global popularity.
“After all, Bollywood has been in the top ten of UK and the top twenty of US box office hits since 1998.
“But these popular Hindi films from India have long been enthralling South Asian and non-Asian audiences around the world.
“This exhibition will be a celebration of some of the landmark films and filmmakers but also the ways in which audiences have engaged with the genre.”
He added: “Such is Mr Bachchan’s particular importance that BBC on-line audiences chose the ‘Big B’ as ‘Superstar of the Millennium’ in 1999, beating icons like Sir Lawrence Olivier, Marlon Brando and Charlie Chaplin.
“In 2003, he was named goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Children's Fund.
“He is adored by millions of fans across the globe and is possibly one of the most famous people living today.
“So the visit by the couple will thrill millions of their fans in Yorkshire and the UK”.