Dirty Picture marks sea change for Bollywood
While much of Ireland was in front of a TV last Sunday watching the Boys in Green at the European Championship, some were at the movies in Dundrum Town Centre enjoying the offerings at this year’s Indian Film Festival Ireland.
The Dirty Picture was one of the lucky movies brought to the Irish screen thanks to festival director Siraj Zaidi and his team. Released in India in 2011, the film is the unofficial story of the late Silk Smitha, an Indian actress famous for her erotic roles in the 1980s.
Director Milan Luthria presents Silk as a strong and determined character in a film that goes a long way towards breaking stereotypes in its portrayal of the position of women in such a male-dominated industry.
The viewing public in Dublin certainly seemed to catch on. “The Dirty Picture is not as chaotic as the usual movies,” said one female filmgoer. “There is less dance [on screen] but I liked it.”
The festival’s films have attracted a mixed audience, appealing to both Irish people and Indians living here, said co-ordinator Giovanna Rampazzo.
As a result, the Irish cinema market might well be open to a wide range of films from the subcontinent beyond the glitz and glamour of Bollywood.
