MUMBAI: The Indian film industry has continously been making its presence felt across shores. An advantage of India being one of the fastest growing economies in the world is that many countries in the west are now realizing the need to explore opportunities with brand India.

One such move is going to be the ‘India Now’ festival that will be organized in London from 15 July to the end of September. The festival will showcase contemporary India and will be an attempt to celebrate the rich diversity of the country.

A total of around 1500 events are scheduled during the festival, which is being promoted by the Mayor of London. Earlier, the Mayor’s office had organized China in London festival, but the scale of the upcoming festival would be on a much larger scale.

Apart from musical shows, art exhibitions and other events, showcasing Bollywood films would be one of the important aspects of the event. Speaking about the event to Businessofcinema.com, London Mayor’s office head cultural affairs Mark Prescot said, “Bollywood would be a crucial factor for the event to be successful. We realize the inroads Bollywood is making all across the globe and we would like to collaborate and be partners in its growth.”

Film London, the official body that looks after all the film related affairs in London has arranged pre-Independence documentaries, Early Classics and modern Bollywood films as part of the event. Moreover, Malayalam would also merit a special merit in the India Now extravaganza.

Some of the films that would be screened in the festival include: Ashutosh Gowariker’s Lagaan, Vishal Bharadwaj’s Omkara, Deepa Mehta’s Oscar nominated film Water, Kamal Amrohi’s famous classic Pakeezah and Satyajit Ray’s Shatranj Ke Khilari. Shah Rukh Khan’s upcoming film from the Yash Raj Films’ stable Chak De! India will be premiered in the festival. The event will also witness the celebration of Malayalam Cinema in a mini festival called ‘God’s Own Country.’

Another interesting aspect of the film event in the India Now fest will be the showcasing of some Bollywood horror flicks in a sub-genre category to be named ‘Bollywood Horror’. Films like Bhoot, Darna Mana Hai, Nagin and Mahal would be screened under this category.

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