The charismatic Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan will be part of an awards show in Dubai this month showcasing Indian films from the state of Maharashtra in its regional language, Marathi.
Bachchan, known popularly as "Big B", is to be a guest of honour at the Marathi International Film and Theatre Awards (Mifta) on December 17 in Dubai Media City.
Holding the awards in Dubai is seen as signifying the growing importance of Indian cinema produced outside of Bollywood. Many films are already shot partially in Dubai, or premiere there.
Manoj Patil, the Middle East representative for Mifta, said Dubai was chosen as the first city to showcase Marathi cinema abroad because of its historical ties with Mumbai.
"The Maharashtrian community is strong here," he said. "This is an event not only for the people from Maharashtra, but also for those who speak Marathi."
The show will honour films including Vihir (The Well), which was produced by Bachchan's company, Amitabh Bachchan Corp.
Writing in his blog, bigb.bigadda.com, on November 30, Bachchan mentioned his upcoming trip to Dubai to promote the film, along with Mahesh Manjrekar, the co-producer of Vihir.
He wrote: "Mahesh Manjrekar, that consummate artist and director … he is also forming a group called Mifta, a group of people that shall promote and encourage Marathi cinema overseas. But for the moment, they inform me that they have a tie-up with Dubai for a programme and I have given my consent to it. Apart from honouring our presence there, they also wish to honour our film, Vihir, which is in competition."
More than 150 celebrities from the world of Marathi film and theatre have been invited, including Nana Patekar, a Bollywood actor who also appears in Marathi productions.
"For me, Mifta in Dubai is a big honour," Mr Patil said. "To bring such a huge event with so many celebrities and all the Marathi societies in the Middle East under one umbrella, such a thing has never happened before for the Marathi community."
Although Maharashtra has a vibrant arts scene that includes theatre, Bollywood films overshadow productions in any language other than Hindi. Bollywood's epicentre is in Mumbai, the capital of Maharashtra.
Manjrekar, who helped produce Vihir, spoke at a news conference in Dubai on Saturday. "We want to give Marathi cinema and theatre a platform and make audiences aware," he said.
"We hope one day Marathi films are as popular as Bollywood."
Organisers expect up to 3,000 people to attend the awards show.
Candidate films and theatre productions were selected from 2008 onwards.
They will be shown to a three-member jury, while Indian expatriates from Maharashtra can vote for their favourites online at www.mifta.in.
sbhattacharya@thenational.ae
England Test squad
Ben Stokes (captain), Joe Root, James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Foakes, Jack Leach, Alex Lees, Craig Overton, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts
War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
SPEC SHEET
Display: 6.8" edge quad-HD dynamic Amoled 2X, Infinity-O, 3088 x 1440, 500ppi, HDR10 , 120Hz
Processor: 4nm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1/Exynos 2200, 8-core
Memory: 8/12GB RAM
Storage: 128/256/512GB/1TB
Platform: Android 12
Main camera: quad 12MP ultra-wide f/2.2, 108MP wide f/1.8, 10MP telephoto f/4.9, 10MP telephoto 2.4; Space Zoom up to 100x, auto HDR, expert RAW
Video: 8K@24fps, 4K@60fps, full-HD@60fps, HD@30fps, super slo-mo@960fps
Front camera: 40MP f/2.2
Battery: 5000mAh, fast wireless charging 2.0 Wireless PowerShare
Connectivity: 5G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC
I/O: USB-C
SIM: single nano, or nano and SIM, nano and nano, eSIM/nano and nano
Colours: burgundy, green, phantom black, phantom white, graphite, sky blue, red
Price: Dh4,699 for 128GB, Dh5,099 for 256GB, Dh5,499 for 512GB; 1TB unavailable in the UAE
More coverage from the Future Forum
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
UAE squad
Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Katie Thompson, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, Michelle Botha, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) Udeni Kuruppuarachchige, Vaishnave Mahesh.
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
THE BIO
Favourite author - Paulo Coelho
Favourite holiday destination - Cuba
New York Times or Jordan Times? NYT is a school and JT was my practice field
Role model - My Grandfather
Dream interviewee - Che Guevara
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
Points to remember
- Debate the issue, don't attack the person
- Build the relationship and dialogue by seeking to find common ground
- Express passion for the issue but be aware of when you're losing control or when there's anger. If there is, pause and take some time out.
- Listen actively without interrupting
- Avoid assumptions, seek understanding, ask questions
