Bollywood sizzles in Germany

One would have thought United States President Barack Obama mouthing “Senorita, aaj kal badey badey…” a part of a Bollywood film dialogue in January was a one-off affair meant to charm the Indians.

India gradually making cinema an integral part of its soft diplomacy makes eminent sense. But for other nations to try to reach out to India, and making Bollywood a part of their diplomatic drive is something that takes the cake.

Although a much younger cinematography than India’s, Canada has much to with India and is home to eminent filmmaker Deepa Mehta. Her brother Dilip made a charming full-length film, not his own but for the Canadian High Commission in New Delhi, in 2010.

Interestingly, it was about the life of the mission’s staff, centered on a lady diplomat and her husband and their cook. Played by seasoned actor Seema Biswas, Stella, the Indian cook is the protagonist. She is a smart lady who has creative ways of adding to her income – in short, fooling the Canadian bosses. Indeed, the film was titled “Cooking with Stella.”

The film was actually shot on the high commission premises and Stella is shown assisting her bosses in INA Market and other places where diplomats posted in New Delhi actually go shopping.The film was received well, except that sections of Indian media panned it as a PR effort and some Canadians thought they had been shown in a bad light, the way the cook was shown cheating them.

If the Canadian film could be dubbed a PR effort, the one coming from Germany would be more so – and is unabashedly so. Made public last Friday, the video actually has Ambassador Michael Steiner and his wife starring. The embassy staff is deeply involved and nobody has yet sniggered at this love for Bollywood.

It is a wholesale lift of the title song of Karan Johar’s Kal Ho Na Ho and gives full credit to each parson involved in the original song.Steiner plays Shah Rukh Khan’s role, his wife Eliese plays Preity Zinta and for the third angle to the triangle, that of Saif Ali Khan, the surprise star is former Indian External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid.

All amateurs, if at all, they do not take themselves too seriously. It needs recording that all three have worked like professionals, and they seem to enjoy it to the hilt.Steiner says he worked hard since he does not know Hindi.But he is actually lip-syncing the famous lines filmed in the original film on Shah Rukh. What is more, he dresses casually like Shah Rukh and even spreads his arms, looking up and then sideways – a patent SRK gesture.

To Steiner, "it was a challenge. These actors are masters and I had to imitate them. I realised that you cannot imitate Shah Rukh Khan. He is such a perfect actor. We wanted to show our respect to Bollywood and these fantastic actors. They are very popular in Germany," said Steiner."Bollywood is a cultural institution. This is the one instrument to connect to the world and it is a very good instrument. My wife and I are Bollywood addicts. We have seen over 150 Bollywood films," he added.

Although the original song was filmed in the US, this video has the necessary India effect with Steiner doing his Shah Rukh act with New Delhi’s India Gate in the backdrop. Call it PR, if you must, but it charms.Eliese plays the girl who loves SRK’s character, but also friends with Saif’s character, who actually loves her. She is alternating between the two men and the slim and tall lady looks stunning in a sari.

Under the direction of Sumit Osmand Shaw, the three pay homage to the Indian film by re-enacting one of its most famous music videos - thus connecting people across borders.The India-Germany parallel is drawn with the title, “Lebe jetzt - Kal Ho Naa Ho”.They carry the same meaning: Live right now to the fullest!

By Mahendra Ved