Sweden to get a taste of Indian culture and ‘filmi’ affairs at India Unlimited

Kolkata: The Indian Embassy in Sweden is set to organise a film festival 'India Unlimited' with the motive of attracting investments and strengthening Indo-Sweden connections.

Exhibitions on maestros Satyajit Ray and Rabindranath Tagore will be shown along with a Bollywood opera, Bollywood-themed party and a fashion show.

The festival will also help advance the production of a Bollywood opera containing a Kathak dance and some "filmi" costumes. Moreover, three capable designers would be taken by NIFT, India to Sweden in order to showcase their talent before an international audience.

Going beyond business summits to attract investments, Sweden will get a taste of Indian culture and films this year. The festival which will be held in Stockholm from April 21-24 will be screening around 10 films comprising a variety of Indian languages.

The list includes Aparna Sen's Bengali film 'Arshinagar', Konkani film 'Nachom-ia Kumpasar', Hindi films 'Talvar', 'Island City', 'Maanjhi – The Mountain Man' among others.

The chief executive director of 'India Unlimited', Sanjoo Malhotra said, "We have lined up a series of events from April till August. We are combining art, business and culture together on the same platform so that Sweden can understand India in a better way."

Promotion of such platform by the Indian Embassy of Sweden is seen as an act of building fruitful partnerships among the two countries in areas which benefit both. The areas majorly include economic relations and people-to-people ties.

Indian Ambassador to Sweden, Banashri Bose Harrison exclaimed Indian cinema as one of the most effective ways to expedite the nation's image as a creative land.

"Moreover, the films give the viewers a glimpse of India's diversity and attract them to visit the country," she said in a statement.

"I am optimistic that through 'Cinema Indien', the Indian Film Festival that we have started as the India Unlimited platform with support from National Film Development Corporation, we will be able to create an awareness of the quality, dynamism and variety of Indian cinema," the diplomat said.

Showcasing Indian music, art, culture, dance, fashion, cuisine and yoga, a few more festivals namely, 'Namaste Stockholm' and 'Namaste Gothenburg' will be organised during May-August.

On the business front, a CII delegation will go from India to explore business opportunities during May 2-3, Malhotra further said.

(Inputs from The Financial Express) (picture courtesy: indiaunlimited.se)