Indian cinema makes its way to the Shang with Mabuhay Bollywood

One of the biggest and most prolific film industries in the world comes to the Red Carpet via Mabuhay Bollywood, the first ever Indian Film Festival in the country happening this August 23-25, 2019 at the Shangri-La Plaza's Red Carpet.

An impressive, diverse selection of 10 films are lined up for this festival presented by the Embassy of India, the Film Development Council of the Philippines, and the Shangri-La Plaza. The event is also part of the Indian Embassy's celebrations for the 70th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations between the Philippines and India.

Indian Ambassador Jaideep Muzamdar said during the press preview that in India, the Bollywood is very much a part of their lives. The songs and dances from Bollywood films are sung and danced by the people there, even from movies released years or even decades ago.

Here are the films lined up for Mabuhay Bollywood.

Baahubali: The Beginning

Director: S.S. Rajamouli
Cast: Prabhas, Rana Daggubati, Ramya Krishnan

Baahubali: The Conclusion

Director: S.S. Rajamouli
Cast: Prabhas, Rana Daggubati, Anushka Shetty

The epic fantasy films, Baahubali: The Beginning and Baahubali 2: The Conclusion, follow the life of Sivudu, a foundling at a small village, who learned about the truth of his heritage after meeting the beautiful warrior Avanthika on a quest to save her queen. The story continues with hero’s gutsy mission to reclaim his identity.

Bang Bang!

Director: Siddarth Anand

Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Katrina Kaif

A remake of the hit Hollywood film Knight and Day, the film Bang Bang! follows a bank receptionist living a ho-hum life until she meets a handsome thief who turns her life around.

Bhaag Milkha Bhaag

Director: Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra

Cast: Farhan Akhtar, Sonam Kapoor

Starring Farhan Akhtar and Sonam Kapoor, the film revolves around the life of Milkha “The Flying Sikh” Singh, a world champion runner and Olympian, who overcame the killings of his family members including his parents, and the cruelty of the civil war during the India-Pakistan partition to become one of India’s sports icons.

Kahaani

Director: Sujoy Ghosh

Cast: Vidya Balan, Parambrata Chattopadhyay

Sujoy Ghosh’s mystery Kahaani is about a pregnant woman who arrives in Kolkata from London to find her missing husband. When all clues seem to reach a dead end, she might have to come to terms with the fact that her husband doesn’t exist.

Mary Kom

Director: Omung Kumar

Cast: Priyanka Chopra

The biopic Mary Kom stars international star Priyanka Chopra. If the Philippines has Pacman, India has Magnificent Mary—a title Kom earned after winning the 2008 World Boxing Championships. The Omung Kumar-directed film highlights Kom’s grit to defy the odds, shattering records to eventually become a boxing legend in her homeland and beyond.

Neerja

Director: Ram Madhvani

Cast: Sonam Kapoor, Shabana Azmi

Based on the true-to-life events of the hijacked Pan Am Flight 73 in 1986, Neerja is a gripping tale about a modern-day hero. This Ram Madhvani film focuses on how young flight attendant Neerja Bhanot made the ultimate sacrifice to save the lives of the passengers on board.

Pink

Director: Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury

Cast: Taapsee Pannu, Amitabh Bachchan

Pink narrates the story of how three young women accused of a crime against a well-connected man try to clear their names. Apart from the twists and turns of a court drama, the Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury-helmed movie puts women’s rights and dignity front and center of its story.

Queen

Director: Vikas Bahl
Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Rajkummar Rao, Lisa Haydon

The dramedy Queen, a story that centers on 24-year-old Rani, who decides to go on with her honeymoon trip alone after her fiancé calls off their wedding. As she travels around Europe, Rani gains new experiences that’ll help her move on.

Tanu Weds Manu

Director: Aanand L. Rai

Cast: R Madhavan, Kangana Ranaut, Jimmy Shergill

Aanand L. Rai’s romantic drama is about a London-based doctor who comes to India to choose a bride. The thing is, the woman he likes doesn’t believe in arranged marriages.

Here is the screening schedule for the inaugural Mabuhay Bollywood, Indian Film Festival at Cinema 4 of the Red Carpet at the Shang.

August 23, 2019
3:00 PM Neerja
5:40 PM Queen
9:00 PM Bang Bang!

August 24, 2019
11:40 AM Kahaani
3:10 PM Mary Kom
5:50 PM Baahubali: The Beginning
9:00 PM Pink

August 25, 2019
12:30 PM Bang Bang!
3:40 PM Baahubali: The Conclusion
7:00 PM Tanu Weds Manu
9:30 PM Bhaag Milka Bhaag