Ashok Sharma, Indian Ambassador to Suriname, who has served three times in the Commonwealth of Independent States region during his diplomatic career said: The popularity of Bollywood in the CIS dates back to the Soviet days when the films from Hollywood and other Western cinema centers were banned in the Soviet Union.
सुरिनाममधील भारतीय दूत अशोक शर्मा, जे आपल्या कारकीर्दीत तीन वेळेस स्वतंत्र राज्यांच्या राष्ट्रसंघात कार्यरत होते, म्हणतात : The popularity of Bollywood in the CIS dates back to the Soviet days when the films from Hollywood and other Western countries were banned in the Soviet Union.