Biz Asia at ‘BAFTA Goes Bollywood’ event

A three – day series of prestigious events designed to celebrate and explore contemporary Bollywood cinema was held by BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) over the weekend in London.

Bollywood cinema is a worldwide phenomenon, with massive audiences at home in India and increasingly, abroad. The BAFTA weekend showcased world -famous Bollywood stars. Bollywood King Khan Shah Rukh Khan, producer/director Yash Chopra, actor/producer Aamir Khan producer/ director Yash Chopra, actor/producer Shah Rukh Khan, Film-maker Karan Johar and actress Preity Zinta were all present.

Friday�۪s opening night of ‘BAFTA Goes Bollywood’ weekend began with a reception in true Bollywood style with an interview with actor/producer Shah Rukh Khan, followed by a screening of his BAFTA-nominated film ‘Devdas’.

Saturday�۪s activities kicked off with a screening of ‘Kabhi Khushi Khabhi Gham’, directed by Karan Johar, who lead a masterclass on film direction.

Saturday night saw a showcase of the work of legendary producer/ director Yash Chopra, hosted by Sanjeev Bhaskar (‘Kumars At No. 42’). The Academy celebrated Chopra’s films with clips and live tributes. A screening of popular release, ‘Veer-Zaara’, was also held on the same evening.

Sunday opened with ‘Dil Chahta Hai’, featuring young actress Preity Zinta, who took part in a Q & A session about her career success and future projects (spoke heavily about ‘Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna).

The closing night of ‘BAFTA Goes Bollywood’ put the spotlight on Aamir Khan, star and producer of worldwide hit movie ‘Lagaan’. A screening of his recent film, ‘Rang De Basanti’, was followed by an in-depth interview with Aamir himself. The film’s producer UTV was also present.