Stars Across Borders Look At Bollywood For Inspiration From 'Raja Harishchandra' the silent film to multiple reels to a single showreel and from zero graphics to animation, Indian cinema has had quite an illustrious journey.

110 years ago on May 3, 1913, the Coronation Cinematograph and Variety Hall of Bombay (now Mumbai) premiered 'Raja Harishchandra' the black and white silent film which is considered the first Indian Feature Film. From this silent film to multiple reels to a single showreel and from zero graphics to animation, Indian cinema has had quite an illustrious journey. In 2002, Devdas premiered at the prestigious Cannes film festival which turned heads and now RRR sent shockwaves throughout the nation for bagging the Oscar in the best original song category which shows how Bollywood or shall we say Hindi cinema and the South regional cinema have had a million dollar trajectory by producing 1500 to 2000 films annually. Regional cinema's gross box office collections alone have gone up to 5.3 Crores in 2022.

Indian Cinema has been a global inspiration and also an influence on many well-renowned actors and directors. Not long ago, famous Hollywood director Wes Anderson who has delivered films like The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) was quoted saying "I started to go [to India] because I wanted to work there. Satyajit Ray's films are part of what drew me to India, and I've seen and known a lot of his work… For me, Ray was one of the ideal role models for the kind of director I would like to be." True to his word Anderson's film The Darjeeling Limited which is about three brothers was inspired by Satyajit Ray and has soundtracks composed by Ray. The film also includes a sequence in an Indian train that was borrowed by Ray from his 1966 film Nayak. Like Anderson, the famous director Martin Scorsese and actor Meryl Streep have also expressed their appreciation for Ray's work. Even directors like Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Anurag Kashyap's work has put India on the global map for several cinema lovers to explore the larger-than-life or unlikely heroes genre.

There is an old saying that what goes around comes around, such is the case for the number of international stars flying into the country keen on collaborations. The recent launch of NMACCin Mumbai was an evening coined as the 'Indian Met Gala' on social media after the arrival of stars like Zendaya, Tom Holland, Penelope Cruz, Supermodel Gigi Hadid and Nick Jonas on the red carpet donning Indian couture. The supermodel also later took to her social media to pen down, "Warmest thanks to the Ambani family for hosting me in Mumbai for the Opening Weekend of NMACC! It was an honour to be there to witness your family's vision come to life, in a beautiful world-class Cultural Center to celebrate and cultivate the creatives and heritage of India. After seeing the opening nights of 'The Great Indian Musical' and 'India in Fashion' exhibit, I learned so much & know this venue will nurture future generations to explore their passions- from dance to design, from music to art. If you have the chance to visit & see these productions - I HIGHLY recommend them!!!! Unforgettable first trip to India. Much love."

It is safe to say that the Indian Arts have not only caught the eye of Hollywood. Last week, the famous Turkish star Burak Deniz visited Mumbai and met with actors like Anil Kapoor, Aditya Roy Kapur and Sobhita Dhulipala at an event. The actor is not only the top actor in Turkey but during the pandemic developed a die-hard fan base in India for his work in The Ignorant Angels, ShahMaran, Arada and Don't Leave. Burak also interacted with the media and fans at the FICCI platform and spoke about his admiration and desire to work with Bollywood A-listers Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan. He also shared how he came to love the two actors through their films like Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and PK. In the coming years, the booming OTT industry is expected to bridge the gap between international stars and Indian projects.