Prague Indian Film Festival highlights Bollywood’s diversity
The 22nd edition of the Prague Indian Film Festival kicks off in Prague on October 30, celebrating Indian cinema and, for the first time, live dance. While dance and Bollywood are closely linked in popular imagination, the festival also shows that Bollywood offers more than “just” entertainment, featuring films that address complex social issues in India. Radio Prague International spoke to Radim Špaček, artistic director of the festival about the appeal of Bollywood films and how Czech audiences perceive them.
“Bollywood cinema has a long tradition of being an avant-garde or progressive power focusing on social issues, like the caste system or social injustice. I think it still continues to have this role nowadays and explores new forms of human relationships.
“I think that Czech audiences are slowly starting to understand that it's not just about entertainment and fun. In the last five or ten years, Bollywood has changed a lot and it now makes a lot more crime thrillers or complex films about difficult topics. So Czech audiences, who are quite conservative, have to adjust their view of Bollywood. I think we are on a good path.”
Speaking of the darker side of Indian film, there is one film that you will be showing that is practically banned from screening in India. Is that right?
“Yes, that's the film Santosh - a dark crime thriller. Screenings are banned in India, but at the same time, it was last year’s British Oscars nominee. So, it had some international success.
“It's about a young widow whose husband, a policeman, died in an ambush. After his death, she replaces him in his job and starts to investigate the murder of a young girl from a poor village. Slowly, we begin to realize that her death was not an accident, that the roots run much deeper, and that social injustice and the caste system lie behind it.”
Indian film censors blocked an Indian release of Santosh, written and directed by British-Indian filmmaker Sandhya Suri, over concerns about its portrayal of misogyny, Islamophobia, and violence within the Indian police force.
Apart from this film, are there any films that you are particularly excited to show audiences?
“On Saturday, we will show the mega-hit Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (Karan Johar, 1998), which is around 25 years old. It stars Shahrukh Khan, Kajol, Salman Khan and all the big stars of Indian cinema. I would say that it’s really Bollywood at its best - it's full of songs, dance... and it's three and a half hours long. The film’s a really good throwback to the golden era of Bollywood in the 1990s.
“We will open with the film Superboys of Malegaon (Reema Kagti, 2025), which is about a group of poor boys from a small town, who try to make their own films about superheroes. It's a very touching and sensitive film.”
You mentioned that Kuch Kuch Hota Hai is packed with song and dance, elements many people immediately associate with Bollywood. This year’s edition of the Indian Film Festival will feature even more dance than usual…
“Yes, not only on the screen, but live dance, too. This year, on Saturday and Sunday, there will be a Festival of Indian Dance, organised by our collaborator, dancer and choreographer Jarmila Chromíková. There will be a series of workshops at Štěpánská Street (Naplno Dance and Yoga Centre). Some of the workshops include Bollywood Romantic, Bollywood Afro, Bollywood Fusion, Body Swing… So, a lot of different genres.
"Czech audiences are starting to understand that it's not just about entertainment"
Radim Špaček
“The finale will be on Sunday at 6 p.m. in the Rokoko Theatre, where there will be a big gala show, Bollywood Fiesta. Everyone is welcome.”
All of this seems to highlight that Bollywood and Indian film in general, as well as dance, have many different varieties and sub-genres. Is this something you want to emphasize through the festival?
“Yes, I think the diversity and multifaceted nature of Bollywood – not just films, but also dance, music, and the mix of genres – is something we like to promote, showing that it’s more than just entertainment. We like to showcase all aspects of Bollywood. And, of course, there will also be great food."
