The perennially charming Rishi Kapoor lit up proceedings as India
Week, the London School of Economics’ week-long celebration of all
things sub-continental, got off to a rather disappointing start Monday
night.
Despite the setting being one of the world’s leading centres of
learning, the event, which promises to celebrate the dynamism and upward
mobility of modern India, was distinctly low brow and lacked polish.
Four decades of appearing in Bollywood cinema however has given the
legendary Kapoor a singular polish. He was humble, effervescent and
displayed impeccable manners and injected plenty of Bollywood glamour to
the proceedings.
Joining him on stage was Professor Rachel Dwyer, of the School of
Oriental and African Studies at the University of London, and a woman
whose remarkably intimate knowledge of all things Bollywood led Kapoor
to exclaim “She knows more about my family than I do!”
Whilst the opening night of India Week was meant to be a panel
discussion about Bollywood cinema in general, the conversation between
Kapoor and a clearly star-struck Professor Dwyer diverted into a trawl
through what is certainly a quite prolific and celebrated career in
cinema spanning 42 years.
Beginning with Rishi Kapoor’s first appearance on the big screen, as a
toddler in one of his father Raj Kapoor’s films, to his most recent and
arguably most critically acclaimed incarnation – as the fearsome,
Qawwali-singing pimp Rauf Lala in ‘Agneepath’ – the discussion meandered
at a pleasant pace through Kapoor’s career, taking in his love life and
work with iconic directors such as Manmohan Desai.
Aside from Professor Dwyer’s brief and enlightening defence of
Bollywood’s melodramatic tendencies, the evening failed to shed any
light on the impact of Indian cinema and its’ increasingly global
relevance.
India Week, organized by the Indian Society of the London School of
Economics, aims to highlight all aspects of India’s rise as an economic
and cultural superpower and will host a number of high profile speakers
aside from Rishi Kapoor, including Shiv Nadar of Hindustan Computers
Limited and Anvar Hasan of industrial behemoth TATA.
Significantly, India Week is open to the public for the first time
since its inception. The Indian Society and its academic advisors have
given themselves a terrific remit with the aim being to address the
successes as well as concerns in a wide variety of fields; from
Bollywood and philanthropy to politics and the economy.
Providing the proper context is imperative for its success and Monday night’s inauguration lacked just that.
Thankfully, things can only get better.
- Vijitha Alles
For event tickets, visit www.indiasociety.co.u
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