- SHALOM BOLLYWOOD reveals the unlikely story of the 2000-year-old Indian Jewish community and its formative place in shaping the world's largest film industry.
- SHALOM BOLLYWOOD reveals the unlikely story of the 2000-year-old Indian Jewish community and its formative place in shaping the world's largest film industry. When Indian cinema began 100 years ago it was taboo for Hindu and Islamic women to perform on screen, so Indian Jewish women took on female lead roles, which they dominated for decades. The film focuses on the lives of five of the great Jewish actors. Infused with music and dancing, the cheekily told documentary unabashedly oozes Bollywood as it uses film motifs to drive the narrative.—Danny Ben-Moshe
- SHALOM BOLLYWOOD: THE UNTOLD STORY OF INDIAN CINEMA is a feature length documentary celebrating the all singing, all dancing history of the world's largest film industry. It reveals the unlikely story of the 2000 year old Indian Jewish community and its formative place in shaping the world's largest film industry.
When Indian cinema began 100 years ago it was taboo for Hindu and Islamic women to perform on screen, so Indian Jewish women, who were more liberal and progressive, took on female lead roles, which they then dominated for decades. However, because of their stage names people thought they were Muslims or Christians. Until now....
SHALOM BOLLYWOOD tells its tale through the lives of nice Jewish girls who became icons at the heart of Indian cinema from the turn of the 20th century to the present day. From the 1920s silent era we meet Sulochana (aka Ruby Myers), arguably the greatest ever female superstar of Indian cinema. In the 1930s there was Miss Rose (aka Rose Ezra) the Queen of the Bollywood's racy party scene, and in the 1940s Pramila (aka Esther Abraham) who became the country's first Miss India. Then, in the 1950s and 1960s golden era of Indian cinema, the quintessential Bollywood vamp Nadira (aka Farhat Ezekiel).
Other important Jewish figures in the history of Indian cinema who feature in the film include David Joseph Penkar who wrote the first talkie ALAM ARA in 1931 which set the template for Indian cinematic storytelling, and the famed revered uncle figure of Indian cinema, David Abraham. The film reveals how these Jewish stars, working with other Jews in Bollywood, pushed the boundaries of Indian cinema to make Bollywood what it is, and in so doing tells of many Bollywood firsts: the first dance, the first kiss, the first talkie and the first colour film.
Through the personal lives of the Jewish stars the film tells the broader Indian Jewish story. We visit the lush Konkan coast, a 20 minute boat ride from Mumbai's famous Gateway of India Arch, to see the villages seemingly still stuck in time where the Bene Israel tribe lived for 2000 years before making the short journey to Bombay at the turn of the twentieth century. There we enter the grand synagogue of the Baghdadi Jewish community that migrated to India from across the Middle East in the 1800s.
Present day senior Bollywood figures, including acting legend Rishi Kapoor, discuss the film industry in general and the impact of the Jewish stars in particular.
The film reveals the highs of stardom, the fame, the fortune, but also how when physical beauty fades and industries change, careers end, money can run dry and loneliness and alcoholism become the norm, how religion can provide solace.
By exploring the story of the Jewish Bollywood greats SHALOM BOLLYWOOD also explores the theme of interfaith relations, in what is described as a land without anti-Semitism, the Jewish stars married Muslims and Hindus, harmoniously sharing in each other customs, as religious differences were put aside in the pursuit of a shared goal and passion: making great films.
As one generation gives way to another, SHALOM BOLLYWOOD reveals the story of Jews still working in Bollywood today, continuing the work of their parents and grandparents.
SHALOM BOLLYWOOD is told with humour and insight and challenges the common understanding of what we mean by being a Jew and Indian. An all singing, all dancing documentary with swirling saris and coloured yamalkas. A documentary about kosher papadams, bizarre costumes, religious co-existence, the odd elephant, big screen romance and 12 million cinema tickets a day. Just your standard Jewish themed documentary really.
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By what name was Shalom Bollywood: The Untold Story of Indian Cinema (2017) officially released in Canada in English?
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