Bollywood knows no bounds

They say Bollywood is universal. Spending some time in the Far East certainly brought home the point. After two weeks in the hills of Ubud and beaches of Bali in Indonesia, the wide appeal of Indian cinema gave me a whole new perspective on how entrenched the culture of Bollywood has become.

The West has apparently been the last to catch up on the fad.Long before the Oscars, Bollywood films comfortably lodged themselves across Asia and some parts of Europe, including Russia, during the Cold War. Meanwhile, the South-east Asian countries, with their vibrant mix of cultures, were also growing equally attached to fast food from America and Bollywood films from India.

Last year, it puzzled me to see Shah Rukh Khan, 42, the reigning superstar of Bollywood films being “knighted” in Malaysia. He was bestowed one of the country’s highest honours and he received it dressed in traditional Malaysian male attire – in a black baju Melayu, samping and songkok. The Governor of Malacca’s award, which carries the title datuk, was conferred on him after his 2001 film, One 2 Ka 4, which boosted the profile of the state as a destination for tourists.

And the fact that the deputy prime minister of Malaysia’s wife is a big fan only goes to show that when unbound from the shackles of language, everyone likes their musicals with a hint of spice.

Putu, a wood carving artist in the village of Mas, near Ubud, told me that when he feels like having a good cry, or wants to simply be inspired by tales of glorious love or the triumph of good over evil, he simply sits down for three hours and watches a Bollywood flick.

He also told me I looked like Rani Mukherjee, a slightly pudgy, short, dark-skinned Indian actress with big eyes and an impressive number of hits. He almost fainted in shock when I listed the number of Bollywood actors I had interviewed in the past year for The National.

Then we had a conversation in Hindi strung together using words from the titles of films he has watched over a dozen times. This consisted mostly of him telling me he was Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gum (Sometimes Happy, Sometimes Sad, 2001) or that Dil To Pagal Hai (The Heart is Mad, 1997). Overwhelmingly, the films featured Shah Rukh Khan.

Finally, he asked me to convey the best of wishes of the Balinese people to Bollywood. “We may speak Bahasa Bali,” he said, “but we understand the language of Bollywood even when we don’t.”