LIMA, Oct 27: Bringing the culture of India to far off Peru, Vice President Hamid Ansari today inaugurated the ‘Festival of India’ here at a time when Bollywood and Shahrukh Khan have become a craze in this Latin American country.
The festival is also being held simultaneously in Cuba, the next stop of the Vice President.
Ansari’s Peruvian counterpart Marisol Espinoza was also present at the inaugural ceremony which saw the staging of “Nrityarupa” to loud applause.
The programme was a mosaic of six Indian dances — Bharatnatyam, Kathak, Odissi, Manipuri, Kathakali and Chhau.
Several old and new Indian movies, classics as also potboilers, ranging from Dadasaheb Phalke’s ‘Raja Harischandra’ to Raj Kapoor’s ‘Bobby’ and Aamir Khan’s ‘Taare Zameen Par’ are being shown in the festival.
The films to be screened also include Satyajit Ray’s ‘Ghare-Baire’, Shahrukh Khan’s ‘Kabhi Haan, Kabhi Naa’, Govind Nihlani’s ‘Ardh Satya’ and Neeraj Pande’s ‘A Wednesday’.
Culture Secretary Ravindra Singh said that the Festival of India comprises a film festival, a dance festival and a literary festival.
Indian Ambassador Manpreet Vohra said that people of Peru have great interest in Indian culture in all its forms – from food to music, from yoga to spirituality to dance and Bollywood.
Ansari arrived here earlier today on a three-day official visit. (PTI)
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