M A I N   N E W S

Canada eyes Bollywood potential to fight economic slowdown
Prabhjot Singh/TNS

Chandigarh, December 31
If the launch of the Punjab International Film Awards (PIFA) in Toronto in August next year, which was announced here last night, is any indication, Canada and its provinces have joined the select band of Western nations that have accepted Bollywood as an engine of economic growth to negate the global slowdown.

Bollywood, the world’s largest film industry, has, besides entertainment, a new task carved out for itself — of building economic bridges between India and some Western nations, including Canada and Germany. Earlier, it helped promote tourism in some South Asian nations, including Mauritius, Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia.

While Shah Rukh Khan has been brand ambassador for promoting Germany, Akshay Kumar is performing a similar role for Canada. And now, the provincial government of British Coumbia in Canada has, while making a bid to host the 2013 International Film Academy Awards (IFAA), named ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ actor Anil Kapoor its brand ambassador.

The PIFA, a brainchild of Toronto-based Parvasi group headed by Rajinder Saini, and Bollywood star Om Puri, has named Dharmendra its brand ambassador.

In fact, a film featuring Akshay Kumar, shot completely in Canada, had its worldwide premiere in Toronto days before the federal elections were held in May. The event generated a major controversy as Akshay Kumar was joined by caretaker Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his wife on the dais.

Interestingly, the event was held in the constituency of the glamour girl of Canadian federal politics, Ruby Dhalla of Liberals, who lost her first election after three terms in the House of Commons. She lost to Parm Gill of ruling Conservatives. Though many believed Akshay to be a factor in her defeat, the Bollywood hero denied any such role maintaining that he only represented Canada Tourism.

Those rumblings apart, both the federal and provincial governments in Canada are keen to rope in Bollywood in a big way to promote tourism, besides attracting students and investments to stall the slowing down of the economy.

Not far behind is province of Ontario, which after successfully hosting the 2010 IFAA, is now supporting the inaugural Punjabi International Film Awards in Toronto in August next year.

Earlier this month, when the Premier of British Columbia, Christy Clark, visited India, she made it a point to visit Bollywood. She held meetings with some leading lights of the Indian film industry, including Anil Kapoor and director and choreographer Shaimak Davar, in her endeavour to build a case for hosting the 2013 IFAA awards in Vancouver.

“When Bollywood held its annual film awards in Toronto last year, it generated the equivalent of $110 million in advertising for the host city. We want that kind of publicity for our British Columbia,” she said in Chandigarh, revealing that while she was in Mumbai “we launched Vancouver’s bid to host the 2013 IFAA event.”

Last night, there was the formal announcement about the launch of the first Punjabi films awards event that would not only encompass the first international awards in the 70-year-old history of Punjabi cinema, but will also be combined with a film festival and a mega exhibition of handicrafts, textiles and other cottage, small and medium industry products from Punjab.

The launch ceremony brought together several big names of the Punjabi film industry, including Satish Kaul, Preeti Sapru, Prem Chopra, Om Puri, Jaspal Bhatti, Gurpreet Ghuggi, Rama Vij besides the evergreen Flying Sikh Milkha Singh.