Bollywood in Hollywood

Davita Maharaj and Anjali Guptara discuss Bollywood while in Hollywood:

A: Tell me a little about what you're doing in Bollywood.

D: Well as you know, Bollywood is India's movie industry capital. This July, I'm in Bollywood helping kick-off a network for Indian entertainment professionals.


A: What kind of network?


D: It's called The Bollywood Prayer Network, or BPN. BPN is basically a worldwide network of people who are dedicated to praying for and with entertainment industry professionals in Bollywood.


A: I've met Karen Covell, the director of HPN, Hollywood Prayer Network. Do HPN and BPN have anything to do with each other?


D: Yes, in fact BPN is inspired by HPN. Like them, we're a non-denominational fellowship made up of individuals, small groups, and churches.


A: Most churches have not taken the time to pray for Bollywood. It's much easier to criticize people in the Bollywood industry, just as we do with Hollywood stars. But why have separate ministries to Bollywood and Hollywood?


D: From the start, Bollywood and Hollywood have always been separate. With recent movies like Bride and Prejudice, the lines between the two have faded a bit. But no other movie industry is quite like Bollywood. And of course geographically, it would be impossible for busy Bollywood stars to fellowship in Hollywood on a regular basis.


A: What makes Bollywood so unique?


D: Although there have been some recent nudity and unorthodox scenes in Bollywood films, many people still treasure Indian films for their family values, not to mention their color, humor, and musical melodrama! Annually, Bollywood produces more films than any other movie industry in the world, Hollywood included. In fact according to the BBC, more people have watched Indian movies than American movies, and the world's most famous actor, Amitabh Bachchan, is an Indian. Plus, for many years, Indonesia and other Muslim nations have preferred to watch Indian movies. Bollywood films are also popular in Russia, the UK, throughout the Middle East, Bangladesh, Latin America, and the US.


A: You're right, Bollywood actors and actresses have incredible spheres of influence. And with violence and sex selling in Bollywood, the need for strong and faithful hearts must be greater than ever before... So how can I start praying for Bollywood?


D: Adding Bollywood into your prayer life is easy. You simply need to recognize that the media can be a powerful tool for communicating goodness, truth, and beauty to the world. And you need to recognize that Bollywood stars are people with real hurts and needs. The next time you are flipping through channels, magazines, or walking by a cinema, just pray for the industry professionals involved. Some of them are so lonely, and they deal with the same pressures we do: balancing jobs and relationships, depression, family problems, back-stabbing... Bollywood star or not, at the end of the day, people just want to be loved and known for who they are, rather than whatever mold the world shoves them into.

A: How did all of this start?


D: It started with my great-aunt, Revati Sairsingh. Even though she was a widow with barely a third grade education, God brought her to Bollywood stars' homes in the early 80s. There, she'd sit and listen to their problems, counsel them, and pray with them. Domestic abuse, loneliness, affairs... you name it, these Bollywood stars struggled with it, quietly, behind closed doors. She didn't have anything to offer them except her prayers, and Jesus' love.

I probably wouldn't even be doing BPN if it weren't for her, because she prayed for me on her knees every day... She prayed that I too would have a heart for fellow Indians, and that I would reach out to them and show them love, regardless of who they are or where they've been.