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Finished with those gaudy and strange movies in India
named the masala films (1) ,New Indian cinema lightens
the world with its beautiful stars and show-business
and even locally Moroccan bollyphiles are continuously
becoming more Hindi fans than ever, writes ALLAL
EL ALAOUI .
Arrived at the Golden hotel which faces a rising millinum town of Morocco
called Sal(2), Bina Paul a south Indian woman of Kerala, which is a magical
place in Asia said to me why Sal film festival has not chosen an Indian film
for competition this year 2006. Bina Paul is an artistic director and member of
Kerala International film festival in the south of india . She came to Sal to
become a member of jury of the international women film festival .
Sal was famous of her cinema theatres such as Collis, El Malaki and opera .
Although some of them were used as cinclubs in the seventies especially the
Opera theatre for cultural reasons and also for the promotion of cinema and
cinemagoers ,animated by Nour Eddine Sail himself (3) , other cinemas just
could not resist to project Indian movies just like Dosti and Mother India By
Mahoob . Just after independence named proudly, the goden age,Hindi films
were dubbed into Moroccan slang(Arabic) by local pioneer artists namely
Ibrahim Essaih (4) , Hamidoo ; Said Bachir and others.
Ibrahim Essaih was right to dubb indian movies that time, because the
majority of the Moroccans were analphabets . Local Rabat intellectuals keep
making pressure on Moroccan governement to increase the budget for cultural
purpuses.Yet,movies were nationally done in a shy manner, 2 films per year
until the recent fund policy,which CCM, the national center of cinema has
made ;14 to 30 fims per year.
Hindi cinema has been a major point of reference for
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Indian culture in this century. It has shaped and
expressed the changing scenarios of modern India to an
extent that no preceding art form could ever achieve.
Hindi cinema has influenced the way in which peopleperceive various aspects of their own lives. With one
mighty leap, Bollywood has gone from melodrama to
youthful reality, reports Kevin Maher,The Times
journalist In England.It is true that filmmakers in India
have been plagiaristic to the extent that even Hollywood
would remake Munnabhai MBBS and becomes GangstaMD ;an American movie by Chris Tucker. The seven
Samurai by Akira kurasawa became Sholay in 1975 by
Bollywood legend Ramesh Sippy .
Thanks to Ismail Noormohamed Abdul-Rehman , known
as Ismail Merchant, indian cinema becomes worldwildand because of his great talent as a producer and
director , every good actor in the west would love to
work with him . This man sells dreams of elegance and
beauty, of dignity and propriety, of literate splendour
and intellectual stature and above all, of traditional
reverence and venerable taste,Lubna aziz writes on AlAhram weekly.This seems contrary to the thoughts of
Moulay Driss Jaiidi ,a local cinema critic who states that
Hindi movies have bad taste on Moroccan cinemagoers .
Unlike CIFF , Cairo International film festival and
carthage film festival , FIFM,the International film
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festival in Marrakesh, focuses only on European and
American cinema and badly to Asiatic films , It is time
that Grand Maghreb mainly Morocco, because of its
arising bollyphiles who watch nearly 80 new indian filmsper year out of 350 imported films , confirmed to me by
Kamal Mghazli, an employee of CCM, Moroccan national
center of cinema based in Rabat spearheaded by Nour
eddine Sail. India now is one of the largest film
producing nations in the world, with 1,013 films in 2001
and some 4.5 billion rupees in revenues in 2000 throughexports, films are subject to various taxes
(entertainment tax, new taxation release tax, show tax
and property tax).
Interviewed with a house of film distribution , Amal
films, a distributing house based in casablanca has
stated that although the prevailing of CDs and DVDs ,Bollywood cinema remains poweful in consuming and
still welcomed in Morocco and especially now television
holding SNRT and 2M are interested to diffuse films
such as DEVDAS , LAGAAN and VEER-ZAARA highly
praised by international critics around the world. I dont
know what Moulay Driss Jaiidi says about recentstatistics of Bollywood Box office made by CCM that in
2003 Morocco imported 378 Hindi films , the number of
fans were 3 783602 and ticket revenues were
36101026. Although CCM confirms that these stastics
are not fully complete , but in 2006 up to june we had
264 Hindi films and ticket revenues were 581800.
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Moulay Dris Jaiidi would love to see these numbers
increasing in other cinema importations just like US
hollywood and french cinema , but at least we could behonest and realistic to the Moroccan Bollyphiles.
Sometimes ships dont head for the direction it wants ,
even in America and very often, Oscar nominees and
winners are selected on the basis of considerations
other than strictly artistic merit. This means, goodcinema suffers, writes Gataman Bhaskaran. Prabably we
wont see any Hindu film being selected on competition
this year in Marrakech 2006 just because there are still
some constipated mentalities that favor American and
Eureopean films than any good indian films . FIFM,
bureau de la fondation (5) should think this matterseriously about Bollywood cinema because apparently
the cinemagoers and producers already think of
Morocco as a magical place to shoot future films instead
of making them in Swisland .This European country
makes heavy taxes on commecials films favored by the
legendary producer Mukesh Bhatt (6) . Besides, Moroccois still open to all Indian producers to work by showing
easy policy to show-business .CCM has now two
recorded clips ,one is NAACH produced by Varma
corporation limited,shot around Tangiers,
Marrakesh,Agadir ,Essaouira and the second is HALKI
NEEND/SARU produced by Corner pocket films ,shot in
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Marrakesh ans Essaouira .
Quentin taratino and Micheal moore , famous and
respected filmmakers in America ,encourage to piratetheir films, unlike Amitabh Bachchan, a mega-star and
ambassador of IIFA ; international indian film academy ,
disagrees about hacking films and resumes that this
matter becomes a major problem and it is difficult to
solve . thanks to Free market and Internet, cinephiles
now enjoy to have millions of good films with goodquality at home including the Indian ones.However, CCM
locally keeps an eye on outlaw CD and DVD dealers
Derb Rallef (7) in casablanca and swika(8) in Rabat ,and
recently CCM Have ceised 400,000 CDS and DVDS
containing all new hacked genres of International
cinema including Bollywood films. CCM intends to fightagainst films hackers and hopefully cinema theatres will
be open again.
Sal itself suffers a lot of cinema theatres being closed
including Dawliz complexes (9) owned by a Moroccan
filmmaker,Souhail Ben Barka. Now, in Sal there is onlyone cinema open , found in a popular ghetto called EL
WAD (10) . This cinema theatre is called Hollywwod and
ironically accepts only bollywood movies.
Sal women festival was unlucky this year to have an
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indian film in competition but it could have thought only
one of those three womenish films that deal with
modern feminism in India traditions namely Mohra
1994, Mother India, made in 1957 by Mehboob and MirchMasala, made in 1989 by Ketan Mehta. Unlike Amitath
Bachan who works on commercial films Jaya Bachchan,
his wife ,participates only in serious films ; starring in
Satyajit Ray's Mahanagar (The Big City 1963), who is
influenced by Neo-realism cinema Pather Panchali
.This type of cinema is called art films in India which ismore stylish treating human conditions, and is similar
to the cinema dauteur in Europe. No doubt that Nair
Mair a filmmaker installed in America , famous of her ,
Salaam Mumbay and now with her latest film
Namesake wakes up America and Europe to recognize
the potential of Indian cinema.
Indian Cinema has always been loved by Moroccan
cinemagoers and bollyphiles and even since its early
start with legendary Dhundiraj Govind Phalke (1870 -
1944) affectionately called Dadasaheb Phalke is
considered as the 'father of Indian Cinema'. Central inPhalke's career as a filmmaker was his fervent belief in
the nationalistic philosophy of swadeshi, which
advocated that Indians should take charge of their own
economy in the perspective of future Independence.This
was confirmed to me by the most respected filmmaker
Yash Shopra who was in Marrakech in 2005 with his
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wife, Pamela Chopra . Going around Marrakeshi souks
and suburbs especially the Jamaa el Fna (11) square,
Yash shopra said how amazed and astonished he was by
the Moroccan people and its traditions that really has
great affinity with the ones in India. Both India and
Pakistan Should be grateful for the symbolic union that
gathers these two countries through VEERZAARA By
Yash Shopra.It is an outstanding drama which tries to
break the barriers separating two lovers, Veer Patra
Sing (Shahrukh kan) and a Pakistani woman , ZarraHayaat Khan (Preity Zinta). When he projected his film
at Berlin film festival, Yash Shopra was scared that the
people would not understand the story , However ,at the
end of the film, he saw people crying. The presence of
Aishwarya Rai in Marrakesh , a former Miss World and
Bollywoods first genuine cross-over icon, , lightenedMarrakech with her beauty and let all Marrakeshi young
men eyes wild open. These artists are well honored by
the Moroccan people and FIFM,the international film
festival in Marrakesh. Morrocco now became known in
Mumbay and the majority of Bollywood stars would love
to come to this country.
Not far from Agadir, Las Palmas , a spanish litttle
island, is overcrowded with indians and enjoyed the
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double culture there. Indians have immigrated to every
corner of the globe with contingencies in South Africa,
the Gulf countries, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand,
US, Canada apart from the UK. Wherever the Indians go,their films and their food go with them. With curry and
chutney now international favourite foods, it was
inevitable that their exotic films, their melodies, the
romantic strains of their sitar, the striking beauty of
their leading ladies and the dark and daring magnetism
of their dashing heroes would eventually reach thehearts of the West despite all of Rudyard Kipling's
poetic protests, reports Lubna Abdel Aziz, from Cairo Al
Ahram weekly . Of course, he did not know then the
strength and might of the Seventh Art, which proved to
be the best meeting ground for East, West, North and
South.
Many critics in Morocco would immeditaly judged Indian
cinema as an emotional cinema which only seeks
imposssible love, and therefore damages the taste with
its chosen six songs and pharonic scenes and yet
praised and admired by others just like Razak, a Hindufan and film critic who is illuminated by its new wave ,
indepentent anti-studio cinema , pioneered by Madhur
Bhandarkar .Razak continiously makes local cinephiles
more aware about Indian cinema using his power as a
wonderful plume .He writes how exquisite , beautiful
and magnificanctly arising and yet glorifying world wild
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Hindi cinema is.He also predicted in his RABAT EXPRESS
newspaper that BLACK of Sanjay Leela Bhansali with
Amitabh Bachchan and Rani Mukherjee as best actor and
actresse ,would win an Oscar in Dubai during IIFA filmfestival this year 2006.His prophecy became true in the
United Arab of Emirates last june during IIFA ceremony
in Dubai. By the way, the Arab world is also fascinated
by this genre of Cinema .Whenever you go, Bollywood
movies prevail in popular theatres, for example
,Cairo,casablanca and Dubai cinemas are full withbollywood fans, and you can hardly find your ticket. Now
resoursefully, people in Mumbay listen carefully to
European cinephiles who admire latest of Sanjay Leela
Bhansali BLACK because simply of its new style
without using songs and exotic scenes.
Ideas like creating an agency that deals only with
Bollywood films and Wizcraft artistic communications
becomes a wish not only for Razak , Ahmed
Sijilmassi but also for Abdelillah Al Jawhari and Allal El
Alaoui (12) . Those tink-tanks see that it is time to sit
down, and dicuss continuous meeetings where filmdistributers, producers and fimmakers tackle
mechanism and the future of Indian cinema.
Since the The first film in Southern India was made in
1916 by R Nataraja Mudaliar- Keechaka Vadham, the
hindu wish to impose their style of making cinema .
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Now thanks to wizcraft agency, Indias first and premier
event management and entertainment agency,
pioneered by Wiz Andre Timmins , Wiz Viraf Sarkari ,
Wiz Sabbas Joseph . These men are giving power to IIFAto become more world class ceremony.
- 2000 : London,United Kingdom.
- 2001 : Sun City,South Africa.
- 2002 :Genting Highlands, Malaysia.
- 2003 :Johannsbourg,South Africa.- 2004 :Songapore.
- 2005 :Amsterdam,The Netherlands.
- 2006 :Dubai,UAE.
-
Morocco has,alas, missed this year 2006 appointement,
but rumours say that 2008 IIFA awards will be onehundred per cent Moroccan . This pushes Yorkshire to
swiftly call for IIFA festival to be held in its land.So,
Lata Mangeshkar, a Guiness record holder, Mukesh,
Mahmood Rafi and Kishore, will sing Godlike lyrics to
beautify British souls . Yorkshire lads and birds
including five millions Asians would enjoy beautifulmovies when they would put the kettle on.
Yorkshire then hosts IIFA , the international Indian film
academy awards , oscar-style and is backed by brillant
staff of Yorkshire tourist Board whose chairman is Judith
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Donovan including members of YTB such as Sir Thomas
Ingilby , Colin Brown , Zulfi Karim, Cllr. Carl Les and
others .They already mise-en scene the platform of
the seventh edition festival already called Love atfirst sight.
Surely the seventh edition of the IIFA festival will shake
cinema lovers and bollyphiles around the globe
especially Yorkshire plays the leading cultural link
between the fiveth continent. Stratford -upon - evenwhere William shakespeare is born ; a few kilometres
from quintessential Yorkshire towns where the festival
will be held , Richmond Old theatre eighteen century
and the glittering town Leeds ,these local cultual
treasures of Yorkshire will be seen and honored.
Famous personality & Celebrities will invade British
Islands mainly Amitah Bachan,Karishma Kapoor, Aamir
Khan, Kajol, Madhuri Dixit and Shah Ruhk Khan who
reports on himself I have created a myth. Sometimes I
think of myself in the third person Im the Shah Rukh
Khan now. Hes a brand of his own. Its not me anymore. Now a myth is created. This is what my films have
created. That myth can be called King Khan. Yorkshire
expects millions and millions of tourists from around
the world. The event is expected to boost tourism
income across the region by nearly 10 million pounds.
The inaugural IIFA awards event was held at London's
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Millennium Dome in 2000. The summer of 2007 is also
expected to attract nearly 30,000 people from Europe,
India, southeast Asia and the US, and signifies the
exalted status the Indian film industry has attained inBritain.
FIFM bureau de la fondation, CCM (13) and house
distibution in Morocco should consider and give
importance and value to Hindi cinema and especially
the taste of passionate Moroccan people who just lovethis cinema. In academic circles here, LA Times (14)
reports that Indian films are no longer seen as quaint,
gaudy and oriental items, but a resilient cultural
powerhouse in the subcontinent that challenges the
near-global domination of Hollywood films.
Muqtedar Khan (15) writes that India is already well
situated to become a major economic and cultural power
worldwide. Indian culture, through the popularity of
Indian cinema, is already giving India the kind of "soft
power" that only America enjoys worldwide.
Bina paul will never forget Sal and its traditions . With
her digital camera , she took pitures of women tatooing
their hands with El Hana, a spiritual herb also used in
India for the same purpose.She carefully took notes of
those women making their spiritual journeys to
Marabouts (16) . This reminds Bina of her people doing
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the same pilgrimage not of course to Marabouts, but to
cinema theatres where they expect good endings
eternel heroes , widows and homeless children.
Coming out from El Madrassa al Bouanania (17), bina paul
amazed by its marvellous Islamic frisks , remembered
her colleague filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan from
Kerala saying that India has always been an immence
bazar of images .
ALLAL EL ALAOUI
Zhor idrissi : secretariat.
International women cinema in sal.
Centre national de la cinematographie.
www.CCM.ma.
Noureddine sail ( CCM ).
Kamal Mghazli ( CCM ).
Ahmed Araib ( CCM ).
Razak ,( rabat express).
Al ahram weekly .
Lubna aziz from al ahram weekly.
Le monde diplomatique.
The times, UK.
LA TIMES.
1- the masala films : The 1970s saw the advent of the
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multi-generic entertainment extravaganza replete
with dramatic dialogue and spectacular song and
dance sequences.
2- SAL : A millinuim town in Morocco .3- Nour Eddine Sail is a Moroccan thinker and cinema critic and head
of the main cinema institution of cinema called CCM.
4- Ibrahim Essaih is a Moroccan Indian film dubber . He was the
pioneer of dubbing Hindi films after the independence.
5- FIFM bureau de la fondation is an institution in
Morocco that organizes International film festival.6- Mukesh Bhatt is film producer in India.
7- Derb Rallef is a popular market in casablanca where
one can find any goods.
8- Swika is a popular market in Rabat .
9- Dawliz complexe is a Place of entertainement,
restaurants and luxuary cinemas in Sal .
10- EL Wad : a dangerous Ghetto in the north of Sal .
11- Jamaa el Fna square : one of the most famous
entertainemnt souk in Marrakesh ( see UNESCO) .
12- Razak, Ahmed Sijilmassi, Al Jawhari and Allal El
Alaoui; Cinphiles and intellectuals ,on line free-writers
and especially Indian movie fans and critics .
13- CCM is a national institution of cinema that is
strictly administratif dealing with distribution ,
Film visas , festivals and co-ordinations
14- LA Times : Los Angels Journal in America .
15- Dr.Muqtedar Khan is an Assistant Professor
in the Department of Political Science and
International Relations at the University of
http://www.udel.edu/poscir/index.htmlhttp://www.udel.edu/poscir/index.htmlhttp://www.udel.edu/http://www.udel.edu/http://www.udel.edu/poscir/index.htmlhttp://www.udel.edu/poscir/index.html8/2/2019 Morocco Bound to Hindi Cinema
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Delaware.
16- Marabout is a spiritual leader or saint in
Morocco.
17- El Madrassa al Bouanania is an old medieval
univeristy in Sal famous of its superb arabisque
frisks and mosaique.
http://www.udel.edu/http://www.udel.edu/Top Related