Melbourne awaits beat of Bollywood
Bollywood Desk

BOMBAY—Bollywood will come alive on the streets of Melbourne on March 11, next year when the city celebrates India Festival to herald the Commonwealth Games, beginning four days later. The Festival comes under a unique, ‘Adopt a Second Team’, project that the Games Organising Committee has conceived to foster better relations among the multi-racial communities in the city.
According to Sonya Wells of the Commonwealth Games Unit, ‘’every municipality in the state has been matched with one of the 71 Commonwealth nations as a first step to creating a cultural exchange through the Games.’’ The Melbourne City Council has adopted Team India and on March 11, a mini India will roll out on the city streets.
‘’The one-day festival will showcase colour and splendour of Indian culture and the ‘Adopt a Second Team’ event will activate the City with Indian music, dance, food and even Boollywood films,’’ adds Wells. The Federation of Indian Associations in Victoria (FIAV) has also joined hands with Melbourne City Council to make the Festival a success.
Says Federation of Indian Associations in Victoria president Shabbir Wahid: ‘’This is a part of the Adopt-a-Second-Team-strategy. It is of particular significance considering that Delhi will be hosting the next Games in 2010.’’ The star cast for the festival is not yet finalised but it will have big names in Indian culture considering a huge population of Indians in Melbourne. Former Miss World Diana Hayden is sure to be in Melbourne for the Festival.
It may be recalled that Diana Hayden was the Goodwill ambassador during India’s successful Games bid presentation in London. She is likely to accompany several other Bollywood stars. Mahima Chowdhry, in her latest avtar as a supporter of Indian women’s hockey team, is also a certainty. The presence of Bollywood stars will add glamour to a day long series of Indian films that will be screened at the famous Capitol Theatre in the city.
India’s well-known classical and pop singer Shubha Mudgal is also among the stars that will perform at Melbourne Square. ‘Flying Sikh’ Milkha Singh is likely to lead the pack of former sporting stars. Milkha had won a gold medal in 440 yards in the Commonwealth Games at Cardiff in 1958.
According to Wahid, local schools of dance and music will present a rich repertoire of traditional, folk and contemporary dance and music. ‘’This programme will incorporate a formal welcome to the Indian team and officials at Melbourne Town Hall.’’ Wahid said Melbourne-based Indians were excited about the whole thing and waiting anxiously for the festival.
‘’After 7 p.m. the Town Hall will feature a Bollywood style discotheque providing the latest dance beats to Melbourne from Mumbai. It will provide an ideal venue for locals of Indian and non-Indian origin to mingle with international visitors to the Beat of Bollywood,’’ Wahid says.
It will not be just dance and music. The Melbourne Square will also be converted into an Indian style hawker Bazaar featuring food, handicraft and other stalls selling Indian clothing, giftware and music. Martial arts demonstration from Kerala will be another attraction at the festival.