UK, US to have Bollywood festival in August

Sahara India plans to organise from Aug 31 a 10-day Bollywood film festival, which would screen films like Mother India and Lagaan.

Sahara India, which claims to be India's largest business house with an asset base of $10.98 billion, plans to organise a 10-day Bollywood film festival in the UK and the US from August 31 as a prelude to spread its business empire globally.

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"During the festival, films like Mother India and Lagaan which have an emotive value to Indians all over the world will be screened," Shailendra Singh, managing director of Percept IMC which has entered into a joint venture with Sahara India said late on Thursday.

"There will be a celebration of Indian cinema across London, San Francisco and New York. Thousands of people across the globe will witness landmark Bollywood films free of charge and will experience the magic, vibrancy and glamour of the largest film industry in the world," Singh, Sahara's chief publicist said.

Sahara India also planned to organise a "Sahara India Music Award" ceremony at the Royal Albert Hall here on October 1 in which Bollywood star Hrithik Roshan and noted playback singer Adnan Sani will participate.

"Sahara India is currently producing 46 feature films including 28 independently," Singh said. Rest are produced in collaboration with established producers, he said.

Singh said Sahara India, which employs 9.10 lakh employees, the second highest in the world next only to Siemens, held a Bharat Parva annually in Lucknow which was attended by an estimated one million people.

"This is for the first such a gathering is being held outside India in in London," he added.