GUMPTION & GLOBAL GOALS - THE CROSSOVER CLAN

IN A DAY AND AGE WHERE THE SPOTLIGHT APPEARS FIRMLY AFFIXED ON INDIA, WE LOOK AT THE EAST-MEETS-WEST PHENOMENON AND THE STARS BRIDGING THE GAP AND GOING TRULY INTERNATIONAL

- PRIYA PATHIYAN

Today, the global gaze is firmly on India, and we’re being considered with much more seriousness in every sphere than ever before. It’s truly unsurprising that international fashion labels and other brands are hot-footing it to woo the growing luxury market here. Understandably, the more exposure India gets, the more interested the West is in our culture — and Bollywood plays a significant role in how India finds representation globally. Of course, we have incredible cinema from other regions in the country, but the glitz and glamour, the song and dance, the action and drama of Hindi films are among our greatest exports.

This cinematic crossover has been around since the Golden Age, when Shashi Kapoor, Leela Naidu and Madhur Jaffrey, among others, acted in Merchant Ivory films like The Householder and Shakespeare Wallah in the 1960s, and Persis Khambatta played Lieutenant Ilia in Star Trek: The Motion Picture back in 1979.

Then there’s Kabir Bedi’s noteworthy body of work that includes his starring role as The Black Corsair in 1976; Sandokan, an Italian one with which he became synonymous; several American horror and war films; and his most famous role as Gobinda in the 1983 James Bond film, Octopussy.

Numerous other Indian actors made it to the American and European silver screen over the decades. The late Om Puri, Irrfan Khan, Naseeruddin Shah, Gulshan Grover, Simi Garewal, Tabu, Amitabh Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, and more… They’ve all proved their acting prowess and then some. These stars made significant contributions to both Indian and international cinema, consistently showcasing the depth and range of talent in our film industry. Even so, it’s been a long journey of breaking the barriers of language and culture to gain acceptance and garner critical acclaim and popularity in the West.