MUMBAI: Mayor of London Ken Livingstone met Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan at an evening reception hosted by the Nehru Centre in London at the invitation of the Indian International Films Academy Awards (IIFA).

The mayor discussed the growing relationship between the Indian and London film industries and highlighted that closer collaboration between London and Bollywood would form part of his programme for extending business and cultural links between the capital and India in 2007. Interest in Bollywood has grown significantly in the UK, with 2.6 million visits to Hindi films in the last year, making Indian film the most popular foreign language film in the country.

This summer, the UK capital will host a Bollywood showcase designed to launch the largest celebration of Indian film ever seen in London, says a release. The event will form part of ‘India Now’ season, a three month celebration of Indian culture and creative industries backed by the mayor of London, which offers Londoners and its visitors the opportunity to experience a series of festivities and exhibitions dedicated to Indian art, film, theatre, fashion and food.

In November, Livingstone will lead an official visit to India to open Mayoral offices in both Delhi and Mumbai, the release adds.