New Delhi, Jan 14 (UNI) India is seeking to build cooperation with Central Asia in film business and has conveyed its readiness to host a delegation of distributors from the region to the country for this purpose.
"We should all work towards putting in place commercial mechanisms for film distribution in Central Asia and India so that our movies become available to each other’s peoples," External Affiars Minister Sushma Swaraj said at the first India-Central Asia Foreign Mnisters' Dialogue in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, which concluded on Sunday.
Films have been an important arm of India’s soft power diplomacy. Indian movies have enjoyed wide popularity in Central Asia with its popular songs and themes based on family and society. This love for Indian films goes back to generations. During her visit to the region last year, Swaraj was seen with an old Uzbek woman by her side singing the popular "Ichak Dana Bichak Dana" song from the 1955 Raj Kapoor-Nargis starer Shree 420.
Swaraj also announced that the Indian Council for Cultural Relations would organise an international conference in India on cultural links between India and Central Asia.
"I am also happy to announce that the annual International Dance Festival organised by ICCR would focus on Central Asian Countries this year," she said.
Also, ICCR will offer five additional slots, one each for the five Central Asian countries, for scholarship to study India’s classical dances and music in India.
She said India would like to host the talented sportspersons from the region.
"We may consider organising a sports tournament with participation of India and all the five Central Asian countries in disciplines like football, athletics or tennis," to promote people-to-people contacts, Swaraj said.
UNI SRJ