Some people wonder if the British moviegoers are gradually changing their tastes in appreciating films and yearning for an exotic world of fantasy. Well-known Indian actor Saeed Jaffrey, who have played important roles in a number of Indian and British films and serials, believes that the Britons are being charmed by the romantic musicals from the Indian Subcontinent.
The ravishing combination of percussion, keyboard and strings is thrilling to the younger generation. The stunning dance routines and lavish sets captivate the hearts, which have been nauseated by the complexities of mechanical life that accompanies modern civilization.
The spectacular success of Asian movies, particularly Indian, at the box office has surpassed that of the Hollywood productions. It is an undeniable fact that the demand for the Indian movies is not confined to Indian or Asian communities in Britain. Non-Asians could be seen queuing up in large numbers at the ticket windows.
Indian melodramas appearing on television also are getting a wider audience. DVDs also are selling like hot cakes. This increasing popularity has prompted several British cinemas to show Asian films, particularly popular Bollywood productions. There also are a number of cinemas where only Asian films are featured.
Consequently, Indian screen stars are gaining wide popularity in Britain posing a challenge to their Hollywood counterparts. Internet sites and satellite channels of Indian movies also are attracting viewers in great numbers. London now is a major center for Asian film fests, in which best Indian film and actor awards are being distributed. British involvement in such events is becoming more evident as some such functions have been jointly organized by Marks and Spencer and Yukta Mookhey, a former Indian Miss World.
Wax figures of Indian film artists are also being displayed in the famous Madame Tussaud’s House of Wax along with other international celebrities. It also is worth mentioning that several Indian films figured in the list of 10 most popular films in Britain in recent years. The American film “Battlefield Earth” finished behind the Indian film “Dilwale Duhaniya Le Jayenge.”
It seems that the Westerners are getting rather tired of the Hollywood techno-flicks and seeking a breakthrough Bollywood blockbusters instead.
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Believe it or not, the main commercial centers of the Kingdom are out of bounds for young men unless they are escorted by the womenfolk of the family. If it is absolutely essential that should he enter the areas in order to buy some badly required shirt or shoe, he should bring along his whole family and convince the security officials at the center that he is legally eligible to keep company with them.
Such outlandish regulations are not reported even from uncivilized corners of the globe. The explanation given for the strange practice was, reportedly, to protect women and girls from teasing, harassment and any other form of mischief our young might be tempted to make. With the welfare of women and girls in mind, an order was issued — nobody knows by whom or when — to drive away young male customers from commercial centers.
The order was scrupulously implemented without making a required study to understand its implications and consequences. The law-abiding young men, with no murmur of protest, fell into line with the order and went looking for other places to make their purchases or to spend their spare time. If anyone unwittingly trespassed the boundaries of the restricted area, he was seriously dealt with. The option they had was either to stay within the four walls of their homes or seek shelter at some permitted gathering places, such as coffee houses and casinos or at isolated places where they could smoke and crack jokes.
A study on the impact of the regulation also revealed the losses it racked up for commercial establishments in general. It is universally accepted that young men comprise the largest purchasing sector in any community. More than 50 percent of advertising targets young men. This prime sector of the population has, on the other hand, been denied access to the economic life and deprived of the joy of selling and buying.
The full credit of scrapping the socially and economically unhealthy regulation goes to Makkah Governor Prince Abdul Majeed. The prince’s order to halt the practice is reassuring to the young men and a boost to the economic activity of the region.
It is also worth mentioning in this context that the director of Jeddah police prepared a detailed study on the practice after exhaustive discussions with youth and related parties.
The study found that no competent authority had ever issued an order banning young people from entering commercial centers or any other place. This is an important finding, which also prompts us to look at other unreasonable restrictions, the authors of which are unknown.
