BEN KINGSLEY - LIGHTS DIM FOR BOLLYWOOD

LIGHTS DIM FOR BOLLYWOOD

The siege in Mumbai sent shockwaves throughout India's Bollywood filmindustry located in that city, once known as Bombay. Many productions shutdown, and the bollywood.com website posted a report noting, "No one is inthe mood to return to work" and concluding, "Bollywood is in no mood toforgive, forget and move on." Many theaters throughout the city shut downduring the siege, presumably concerned that a crowded cinema might representa prime target for terrorists. Ironically, the attacks concluded on the veryday that a British film set in Mumbai won the top prize at the BritishIndependent Film Awards. Slumdog Millionaire , which also attractedhuge crowds during its limited release in the U.S. over the weekend, alsowon for best director (Danny Boyle) and best newcomer (Dev Patel). Speakingat the awards ceremonies, Ben Kingsley, who won a best-actor Oscar for his1982 portrayal of Indian leader Mohandas Gandhi, said, "I really hope Indiacan shake this off, because so many people want to be there and invest thereand enjoy their industry and economy." Reuters noted that the attackscoincide with a growing alliance between Hollywood and India. Asia mediaanalyst Vivek Couto told the wire service, "The timing couldn't have beenworse. ... What will be important to see are capital flows in India."

01/12/2008