Bollywood captures Californians' hearts

The fourth largest cable provider in the US has launched a Bollywood category on its on demand channel.

To cash in on the growing popularity of Indian films in America, the fourth largest cable provider in the US has launched a Bollywood category on its on demand channel line-up in California.

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Launched in association with BODVOD, a company that holds exclusive rights to popular Indian movies from top studios such as UTV and Adlabs, the service will bring latest Bollywood hit films to Cox Communications subscribers in San Diego and Orange County.

A record number of Indian films reached blockbuster status in the US in 2006, with seven Hindi movies grossing over $2 million, making half of the 14 foreign language films to achieve that distinction.

No other language came close to contributing so many box office hits to the list, and the seven hits of 2006 easily shattered the previous record and showed immense growth for Bollywood films in America.

Recent hit films like Deewane Huye Pagal, Lakshya and Chup Chup Ke are currently on Cox's on demand Channel 1 with additional blockbusters premiering every month.

The hits keep coming later this season with the much-anticipated premieres of Shah Rukh Khan's action blockbuster Don, the New York-set comedy Jaan-E-Mann, and the epic Moghul-era romance Umrao Jaan starring the newly engaged Bollywood power couple Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan.

New York based BODVOD Networks was created in 2004 to acquire, package, market and distribute Bollywood and other South Asian films, TV shows and music on all on-demand media platforms.