Now, Israel dances to Bollywood tunes

http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1628979,00110005.htm

Now, Israel dances to Bollywood tunes

Harish C Menon (IANS)

Mumbai, February 18, 2006

Bollywood's pulsating music has begun to grip many young Israelis with
parents from India.

Buoyed by the availability of Indian programmes on satellite television
and enthralled by Bollywood music and shows such as 'Indian Idol' and
'Nach Baliye', Israeli youths are taking a keen interest in film music
and dance.

In cities with heavy Indian populations like Beersheba, Tel Aviv and
Dimona, classes in Hindi film songs are being conducted.

"The youngsters are definitely showing high levels of interest in film
music. Many even attend regular classes," said Jonathan Solomon,
founder president of the Indian Jewish Federation.

"The 50,000-strong Indian Jews settled in Israel are perhaps the
biggest fans of vintage Bollywood music. They associate these songs
with fond memories they have of their time in India," he said.

Solomon, who returned from Israel earlier this month after a brief
visit, saw 'Hodu Yada', an annual congregation of Israelis of Indian
origin held in the southern Israeli city of Eilat.

'Hodu Yada', which means 'Thank you India' in Hebrew, is a three-day
congregation usually organised in the early part of the year where
Indian origin families meet and catch up on their personal lives and
make merry.

"This time around 3,800 people attended the meet and the programme
started with Bollywood cinematic dance performed by young Israeli
Indians," Solomon said.

"The boys and girls are highly enthusiastic about the film music videos
seen on TV although I do not know exactly how many of them are learning
it," noted Solomon, who dreams of organising a concert in Israel some
day.

'Hodu Yada', Solomon said, had a very Indian atmosphere with several
stalls selling snacks like bhel puri and pav bhaji. Music systems
played the latest as well as vintage Bollywood songs.

The cinematic song and dance programme was followed by stand-up
comedies and skits by look-alikes of Bollywood stars like Govinda that
had the entire crowd in splits.

Alongside 'Hodu Yada' an Indian film festival was going on in Israel
that screened latest blockbusters like Apaharan and Mangal Pandey and
also Marathi films like Vastupurush.

At 'Hodu Yada', legendary Bollywood singer Kishore Kumar's son Amit
Kumar's orchestra had been invited to perform this time.

"People wore Indian costumes and jewellery. It did not seem like a
foreign country when the young and old swayed alike to the tunes of Ye
Jo Mohabbat Hai, the classic Kishore Kumar song from the movie Kati
Patang," Solomon said.

The programme was attended by the Indian envoy to Israel Arun Kumar
Singh who concluded with the remark: "You can take an Indian out of
India but you cannot take India out of an Indian."

.

Relevant Pages