SEOUL, November 03 (AJP) - Indian cinema reaches far beyond Bollywood's familiar mix of music, dance and romance, India's ambassador to South Korea said Tuesday as the 14th Indian Film Festival opened in Seoul.
The festival began at the Korean Film Archive with a screening of "Newton," launching a program of six Indian films that will travel across six Korean cities through Nov. 29.
"Indian cinema is a microcosm of its 1.4 billion people," Ambassador Gourangalal Das said at the opening ceremony, pointing to films produced across India's linguistically and culturally diverse regions.
This year's festival is held under the theme "Against the Odds: Ordinary Lives, Extraordinary Courage," highlighting stories of ordinary people confronting injustice, uncertainty and seemingly impossible challenges.
The lineup includes "Newton," "Sui Dhaaga: Made in India," "Manjhi - The Mountain Man," "Dum Laga Ke Haisha," "Queen" and "Sardar Udham."
Seoul screenings will continue through Nov. 7 before the festival moves to Yangsan, Gwangju, Miryang, Incheon and Busan.
Das said Indian cinema's ability to combine contrasting elements — tradition and modernity, local identity and universal themes — has helped it gain a growing following in Korea.
"Cultural authenticity is a source and not a barrier to international appeal," he said.
Mo Eun-young, president of the Korean Film Archive, said the archive, the Indian Embassy and the Indian Cultural Centre have jointly held the festival each year since signing a cooperation agreement in 2016.
She said the decade-long partnership has given Korean audiences a regular window into the breadth of Indian cinema, from socially critical works such as "Newton" to mainstream hits such as "Queen."
Mo said the festival has also introduced Korean audiences to films ranging from "3 Idiots" and "Dangal" to large-scale productions including "Baahubali" and "RRR."
The festival was organized by the Embassy of India and the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre in cooperation with Korean cultural institutions.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.
