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Germans go ga-ga over Bollywood extravaganzas
Bollywood is the latest fad to sweep Germany, with people taking more interest in Indian films, songs and dance.
Bollywood is the latest multicultural fad to sweep Germany. People are taking more interest in Indian films, songs, dance - and Shah Rukh Khan.
Despite the fact that Germany has no sizeable ethnic population from the sub-continent, radio stations up and down Germany pound out listeners' favourite Hindi, Punjabi, ghazals, pop, filmi and bhangra hits.
Dance schools in Berlin and other cities are besieged by people clamouring to sign up for courses in Bollywood-style dancing, and boutiques are offering a wide range of Bollywood style glittery costumes and jewellery.
A national television network has announced a month-long prime time Bollywood film marathon.
"Fads come and go, but we have never seen anything like this," says Laila Hashmi-Yilmaz, who teaches dance in Berlin.
"Dance fads like the macarena or salsa or the merengue come and go, but Bollywood looks like it will stay," she said.
Hashmi-Yilmaz, 23, whose father is Pakistani, says she makes a good living giving dance instruction. She heads a dance troupe called "Padma Ki Rani" - The Lotus Queen.
Across town at the La Caminada dance school in the Kreuzberg district of Berlin, Bollywood classes are booked out for the autumn.
"This is the oldest and the best Bollywood dance course in Berlin," says Sara Ulasur, who has been with the school since the start.
"Everyone wants to learn the Chicken Step," she adds, her eyes sparkling like the dazzling rings and necklaces she wears. Then she demonstrates the moves, placing one foot just ahead of the other and rocking back and forth, clasping her hands at eye level and slowly opening her hands to imitate lotus blossoms unfolding.
"It's erotic and exotic and it makes you feel good," Ulasur explains.
The Bollywood fad was spearheaded in Germany by Berlin's radio station - Radio Multi-Kulti, which specialises in ethnic programming. But the fad took off when dance club DJs began mixing bhangra beats on their turntables.
Art cinemas featured Bollywood productions and that led to the first tentative prime time TV viewings.
"They were hugely successful," says Joyce Mariel, a spokeswoman for RTL II television. The youth-oriented network aired 'Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham' and against all odds came up with success.
"We had an average two million households, which is very good for us," Mariel recalls. "And the best part was that 73 percent of the viewership was young women, which is an ideal target audience."
Following the success, RTL II aired "Kal Ho Naa Ho" and then showed "Main Hoon Na" last spring. With word-of-mouth publicity alone, each was a bigger hit than the previous one.
This autumn, RTL II launched a Bollywood Marathon Autumn with "Kuch Kuch Hota Hai", garnering six million households on a Friday evening.
"We got a 25 percent share of the under-49 age group, with most of that in the 12-29 age group," Mariel says. "You can't do much better than that."
In the meantime, Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan has developed something of a cult following among female fans in Germany. RTL II is confident their next Bollywood feature with him in the lead, "Mohabbatein", will top all its rating records.
