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Indian Films – Strengthening CulturalTies Between Japan & India
By Rajesh Williams

In recent decades, Indian films have contributed to strengthening
cultural ties between Japan and India even further. Nowadays, it isquite common for young Japanese women to travel to India to learn
Bollywood dances. Many young women find the prodigious dance
scenes in Indian films quite appealing; it is such dance scenes thatdraw most of them towards Indian films. After learning a few
Bollywood dance moves as a hobby, some young women have evenbecome professional dance performers. Young women in Japan havealso been greatly influenced by visiting artistes from India; and as
they regard dancing as a skill that can be acquired within a few days,
they feel that they can return and begin performing. When people
watch their performances, they too are inspired to learn.

Japanese Cultural Worldview Fascinates Young
People in India
In Nagaland, India, many adolescent boys and girls and young
adults are enamoured of Japanese culture. Recently, filmmaker
Hemant Gaba released a documentary called Japan in Nagaland.
Centred on a “cosfest” (cosplay event) in Kohima, this documentary
explores Nagaland’s obsession with Japan. In his documentary,
Hemant gives the viewer a slice of Japanese culture, which is held inhigh esteem in Nagaland. The filmmaker follows a group of devoteesof Japanese anime, who are members of a Facebook group called
Nagaland Anime Junkies. Before the film was made, they held thesecond edition of the anime-themed cosfest in Kohima. Many
teenagers and young adults gathered there dressed as their favorite
anime characters. Among the characters featured in thedocumentary is a pair of sisters who have travelled from Itanagar,
Arunachal Pradesh, dressed as Sasha Braus and Hange Zoe from thecartoon series titled Attack on Titan.
Interestingly, the Japanese social and cultural worldview inspired aman from India to make a Japanese film. Anshul Chauhan’s Bad
Poetry Tokyo (2018) had a good run in Tokyo. The film was later
moved to Yokohama, with English-subbed screenings each day for aweek. Anshul, an Indian-raised, Tokyo-based director, won quite afew awards for his debut film. Anshul’s talented lead, Shuna Iijima,
also drew many plaudits, including Best Actress Award at the Osaka

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Author Rajesh Williams

Asian Film Festival.
Speaking about the award, she said, “I didn’t expect to win theaward. It was a big surprise for me because I’m not a confident actor
yet. But I’m truly honored and happy to know my acting moved
someone’s heart. I couldn’t have achieved what I did without support
from everyone in the team. They are all talented and great people.
Being involved in this film sort of made clear to me what kind of pathI want to take as an actress. So it may take time but hopefully I cankeep going.”
Another film with a Japan connection is The Japanese Wife
(2010). Directed by Bengali filmmaker Aparna Sen, this film is an
Indian-Japanese romantic drama film. It stars Rahul Bose, Raima
Sen, Moushumi Chatterjee and Japanese actress Chigusa Takaku.
The film is in English, Bengali and Japanese. The story is about ayoung Bengali village school teacher (Bose) who marries hisJapanese pen friend (Takaku) over letters. Although he never actually
meets her, he remains true and loyal to her throughout his life. Thefilm received positive reviews from many Indian critics. Takaku has
appeared in a number of Japanese TV dramas and films.
The film Hotel Salvation (2016), which is known in India as Mukti
Bhawan, is an Indian film written and directed by Shubhashish
Bhutiani and produced by Sanjay Bhutiani. It is a comedy-drama
about a man who sets his job aside to accompany his elderly father
to the holy city of Varanasi. The film has been a box-office successoverseas, particularly in Japan, where it ran in theatres for 100 days.
Released as Ganges Ni Kaeru, this is the second film in recent times
to attract a large audience in Japan – a country that is not a
traditional market for Indian films.

Satyajit Ray & Akira Kurosawa
It was in the mid-1950s that the cinematic connection between
Japan and India was established, thanks to the artistic friendshipbetween two legendary filmmakers – Satyajit Ray and Akira
Kurosawa. Ray was a great admirer of Japanese films, especiallythose made by his friend and contemporary Kurosawa, whom heconsidered a cinematic giant. He had mentioned in detail about his
meeting with the Japanese director in his book titled Our Films, Their

https://www.jef.or.jp/journal/Films. When Kurosawa was asked by Ray if he had any Samurai
films in mind, Kurosawa said, “No, because there is such a dearth ofhorses now.”
Ray was posthumously awarded the Akira Kurosawa Award forLifetime Achievement in Directing at the San Francisco InternationalFilm Festival in 1992. He had said earlier of Rashomon:“The effect of the film on me [upon first seeing it in Calcutta in1952] was electric. I saw it three times on consecutive days, andwondered each time if there was another film anywhere which gavesuch sustained and dazzling proof of a director's command overevery aspect of filmmaking.”
Likewise, Kurosawa was a huge fan of the Bengali director. Here iswhat he said about Ray in 1975:“The quiet but deep observation, understanding, and love of thehuman race, which are characteristic of all his films, have impressedme greatly... I feel that he is a “giant” of the movie industry. Not tohave seen the cinema of Ray means existing in the world without
seeing the sun or the moon. I can never forget the excitement in mymind after seeing it [Pather Panchali ]. It is the kind of cinema thatflows with the serenity and nobility of a big river. People are born,
live out their lives, and then accept their deaths. Without the least
effort and without any sudden jerks, Ray paints his picture, but its
effect on the audience is to stir up deep passions. How does heachieve this? There is nothing irrelevant or haphazard in his
cinematographic technique. In that lies the secret of its excellence.”Kashiko Kawakita (1908-1993), a Japanese film producer and film
curator, who was influential in the development of the postwar
Japanese film industry and in promoting Japanese cinema tooverseas audiences, was also a great admirer of the films made byRay. She said:“When I first saw Pather Panchali in 1956 at Cannes, it struck melike thunder. When I met Satyajit Ray in 1956 in Brussels, he looked
like Krishna, the mighty God. Since then, he has been my great
master; through him and through his works I learned how to live andhow to love.”During the pandemic lockdown Kannada filmmaker Girish
Kasaravalli revisited five of his favorite world cinema classics,
namely the Apu Trilogy by Ray, Rashomon by Kurosawa, An Autumn
Afternoon by Yasujiro Ozu, Wild Strawberries by Ingmar Bergman
and La Notte by Michelangelo Antonioni. Commenting on his favorite
films, the filmmaker says:“Pather Panchali is on the top of my list. But I like all the films
from the Apu Trilogy for reasons that are obvious now. I saw all threefilms after going to the Film and Television Institute of India in 1975.
They brought a new vision to films not just in India but all over theworld. The lyricism and humanism in the movies weren’t seen inworld cinema before. Despite showing a poor protagonist, the films
don’t become sob stories. They were full of enthusiasm… They
showed life.
“There are many reasons why I like Rashomon. Primarily, the craftof Kurosawa. The way he captures movements, the way he captures
emotions... it’s just mesmerising. He’s a master of mounting drama. I
also like the eastern philosophy the movie talks about – you know,
about how there’s no such thing as an absolute truth. But Kurosawa
doesn’t sermonise; he does it very subtly. But like I said, you canwatch Rashomon just to appreciate several aspects of hisfilmmaking.”

Bollywood’s First Connection with JapanThe first Bollywood film that has a connection with Japan is Lovein Tokyo (1966). Directed and produced by Pramod Chakravorty, it isa romantic comedy and was a hit at the box office. It was shot
primarily in Japan at locations including Tokyo, Ueno, Ginza, TokyoTower, Tokyo International Airport and Hiroshima.
The song titled Sayonara was a big hit in India. This songintroduced the word sayonara, which is the Japanese word
for farewell, to many Indians. Even today this song is played atparties and restaurants in many parts of the country. In fact, almost
all the songs featured in this film were super hits. Here are the lyricsof the chorus of Sayonara:
Sayonara
Waada nibhaaongi, sayonara
Ithlati aur balkhaati
Kal phir aaongi, sayonara(Farewell
I promise to come back tomorrow, Farewell
Frolicking and swaying
I will come back tomorrow, Farewell)Another hit song from this movie is Jaapaan Love in Tokyo. Many
Indians pronounce “Japan” as “Jaapaan”. Here are the lyrics of thechorus:
Jaapaan love in Tokyo
Jaapaan love in Tokyo
Le gayi dil kudiya Japaan ki
Le gayi dil kudiya Japaan ki
Pagal mujhe kar diya
Pagal mujhe kar diya
Jaapaan love in Tokyo(Japan, love in TokyoJapan, love in Tokyo
The girl from Japan has stolen my heart
The girl from Japan has stolen my heart
Driving me crazyDriving me crazy
Japan, love in Tokyo)

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Photo: Author

A poster advertising the Bollywood film “Love In Tokyo” (1966)

A year after the release of Love in Tokyo another Bollywood film,
called Aman, with a connection with Japan was released. Aman is an
Indian anti-war movie directed by Mohan Kumar. The film starred
Rajendra Kumar, Saira Banu, Balraj Sahani and Chetan Anand in leadroles. Many scenes in this film were shot in Japan. The film has aninteresting storyline: Dr. Gautam (Kumar), a UK-trained doctor,
decides to work in Japan to help find a cure for atomic-bomb
survivors and to spread the message of world peace – much like theBuddha had done in the past. While working in Japan, he falls in lovewith a Japanese girl named Meloda (Banu) but also endangers hislife by going on a dangerous mission to rescue fishermen who havebeen exposed to nuclear radiation.

Rising Popularity of Indian Films in JapanThe Indian film industry has created a niche market for itself inmany cities of Japan. Slowly and steadily, the film market in Japan isturning into a new haven for Indian filmmakers. Gone are the days
when only Hollywood films – and to some extent Chinese and Korean
films – had a huge fan following. Indian movies, including regionalfilms from the South Indian film market, are on a roll.
In the recent years, especially during 2018-2019, the popularity ofIndian mainstream films in Japan rose by leaps and bounds.
Bollywood films Padman (2018) and Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015) madea place for themselves in the hearts of many Japanese moviegoers.
The five highest-grossing Indian films in Japan are Baahubali 2:
The Conclusion (2017), English Vinglish (2012), Enthiran

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(translated as Robot) (2010), 3 Idiots (2009) and Muthu – TheDancing Maharaja (1995). Muthu went on to collect $1.6 million in
Japan. English Vinglish is the only woman-centric movie to figure on
the list of the five highest-grossing Indian films in Japan.
Interestingly, Baahubali 2 completed 100 days after its release inJapan. Japanese audiences also found Indian films such as Saaho(2019), Dangal (2016), PK (2014), Dhoom 3 (2013), Ra.One (2011),
Magadheera (2009) and Om Shanti Om (2007) very entertaining.
Commenting on the Japanese market for Indian films, PranabKapadia, president of marketing and distribution for UK, Europe andAfrica Operations of Eros International Plc, said, “Japan, like anyother non-traditional market, is important as it opens new avenues
for monetisation of content that has already been exploited amongst
core Bollywood audiences… Already we have seen Rajnikanth films
have a good following amongst mainstream Japanese audiences;
now that is translating to select Bollywood films as well. This is agood sign for the industry.”
It may be mentioned that it was with the release of Rajinikanth’s
Muthu that Indian films began to catch the attention of Japaneseaudiences. The film received an overwhelming response fromJapanese moviegoers and paved the way for other Indian films.
Indian actor Rajinikanth was one of the most popular foreign
movie stars in Japan in the 1990s. He appeared in films made for
India’s Tamil-speaking southern region. His films were an
entertaining mix of action, comedy, romance, melodrama and music;
and his hyperbolic acting style, the dozens of dancers, multiplelocations, and numerous costume changes that characterized hisfilms delighted Japanese audiences. He was perhaps the first Indian
actor to discover a market for regional films in Japan. Says Kyoko
Dan, a Kobe-based movie publicist who works with Asian producers,“In Japan, Rajinikanth’s 1995 film Muthu – The Dancing Maharajah
was a big phenomenon. So when Japanese people hear about Indianfilms many think of Muthu.”

Bollywood Films: Content that Works in Japan
Many movie enthusiasts in Japan claim that for a long time
Bollywood films were considered rather kitschy, with characterssuddenly breaking into song and dance for no particular reason.
However, they say this image gradually underwent a change andtoday’s Bollywood films have much better storylines. Bollywood also
holds a fascination for some Japanese ad-makers, who are trying totake advantage of this growing trend. It is quite common for boys
and girls to use images of some Indian superstars on curry-flavoredrice crackers and other products for sales promotion. Also,
packaging for spicy food is often decorated with cartoons or photos
related to Indian films and dance.
Speaking about the kind of movies that Japanese viewers want tosee, Akifumi Sugihara, executive vice president of Japan’s oldest film
production and distribution firm, Nikkatsu Corporation, said, “Thereseems to be a polarisation in the audience’s tastes – tremendouslyenergetic action-oriented movies or mentally healing, heart-moving
movies with a message.” Sugihara first came to India in 2011 toattend the Mumbai Film Mart, an annual business-to-businessplatform at the Mumbai Film Festival. His company has released
quite a few Indian films in Japan, including 3 Idiots, Don 2, Ek Tha
Tiger and Jab Tak Hai Jaan. He believes that increased
co-productions between Japan and India can provide “a big stimulus
for Asia to form a new highly potential entertainment market”. Healso claims that Japanese filmmakers are a “great deal” interested incollaborating with Indian filmmakers and shooting in India.
Focusing on the content that works in Japan, Pranab Kapadia said,“It is very nascent to establish genre-specific preferences but thecommon thread that has emerged as far as the content connect isconcerned is human, emotional stories with some kind of message.
Of course, the song and dance format has always created intrigue,
interest and differentiation for Bollywood when compared to films
from other countries or languages.”
According to Sanjay Bhutiani, producer of Mukti Bhawan, “Japanwatches a really wide spectrum of film genres, from the larger-thanlife, action dramas and thrillers to quiet art-house cinema from theUK and France. Anything that is emotionally engaging has a chanceof running in Japan, including small films.”

Indian Cinema: Massive & Diverse Output
However, moviegoers in Japan get few opportunities to visit themassive and diverse output of the Indian film industry. Almost 2,000
feature titles were released by 20 regional film industries in 2014.
To surmount this challenge, Tokyo Talkies, a new community
organization, has been trying to present Indian film screenings withEnglish subtitles in Tokyo. Tokyo Talkies was launched by three
Indian men: Shailesh Nair, Alok Kogekar and Hemant Vishal.
Recently, it screened Subodh Bhave’s Katyar Kaljat Ghusali (ADagger Through the Heart), a musical based on a play about tworival schools of Indian classical singing. This film is a major hit ofMarathi cinema – India’s oldest regional film industry. According toShailesh, “Many people [in Japan] had come after watching Katyarfor the sixth or seventh time.” He said, “We are also looking formovies of other Indian languages that would be exciting for thelarger community.”
What is the level of interest in Indian cinema in Japan? Answering
this question, Akifumi Sugihara says, “I feel 3 Idiots made a kind offoothold for Indian films in the Japan market. I think the number ofIndian films which are (currently) being released in Japan will be
more than doubled immediately. What we will have to do as adistributor is to see how we can keep the trend growing.”

Indian Films on the Japanese Market:
Promising Future
The Covid-19 lockdown had a devastating impact on the Indian
film industry. Big releases were postponed, shootings were halted,
theaters were unable to screen films and daily-wage employees
associated with the industry struggled for their next meal. The 183
billion Indian rupee film industry is still getting ready for the newnormal. Japan also felt the negative impact of the coronavirus
pandemic. A majority of the Japanese people had to stay put, and nota single Indian film has been released in Japan since the pandemic
broke out across the world.
As soon as Japan and India start recording fewer new Covid-19
cases and deaths, things will start looking up for the Japanese andIndian film industries. The Indian Over-the-Top (OTT) media space iswaiting to launch a large number of films and shows. Priyanka
Chopra Jonas along with Rajkummar Rao have been focusing on
presenting an interesting retelling of Aravind Adiga’s The White
Tiger. Indian actor Saif Ali Khan is also waiting to star in a new
exciting series called Tandav. Bollywood films such as Bhuj: The
Pride of India and The Big Bull may be released as soon as thesituation improves. But exactly when enthusiasts of Indian films inJapan can start looking forward to having a wonderful time at someof the select film theatres across the country is anyone’s guess.

Conclusion
Relations between Japan and India have traditionally been strong.
Buddhism is one of the great cultural ties that bind the two countries
together. Since the 1990s, there has been a renaissance in relations
between Japan and India. New Delhi’s post-Cold War economic
liberalization policies have turned India into a new market for Japan.
In addition, the rise of China has led the two countries to regard eachother as potential strategic partners.
Ever since the mid-1950s, Japanese and Indian films have beenquite successful in strengthening the cultural partnership between
the two countries. In the future, this partnership would grow further
as people in both countries get to know each other much better
through films.
The cultural and social worldviews of India and Japan have a close
similarity. The larger-than-life Indian films are much appreciated byJapanese audiences. Indian film directors are often inspired by
Japanese themes just as Japanese audiences find the energy ofIndian movies quite exciting. A co-production of Indian and Japanesefilms in the near future has the potential for capturing a growing
market both in India and Japan.

Rajesh Williams is a professional editor and a writer with a background in
instructional design, technical writing, technical editing, and teaching.

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