Filmmaker Danny Ben-Moshe’s documentary, Shalom Bollywood: The Untold Story Of India, will be screened today (23 November) at the ongoing 49th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) being held in Goa. The film, narrated by Indian-British actress Ayesha Dharker, tells the story of the stars of the silver screen, from Sulochana, to Miss Rose, Pramila, Nadira and David, all of whom were Jewish.
The documentary highlights their contribution to the early stages of Indian cinema and features personalities like actor Rishi Kapoor. His father Raj Kapoor worked with Nadira, David and his publicist was Bunny Reuben.
Danny Ben-Moshe: I have been making Shalom Bollywood for 11 years
Luckily for Indian fans, Shalom Bollywood will now be available to view on demand in India via Vimeo for $1.99 (Rs140). Since its world premiere at the 19th Mumbai Film Festival last October, the documentary has been on a world tour being screened at Indian, Asian and Jewish films festivals and around the world from Australia to the US.
It is being released to the public for the first time in India, ahead of its release in Israel next year. Earlier this year, when the Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Mumbai on an official state visit, the film was screened for him and other A-list celebrities from the Hindi film industry.