Amitabh Bachchan brings 'Bollywood' to Selfridges
(2nd May 2002)

Legendary Bollywood actor, Amitabh Bachchan, nearly brought London's Oxford Street to a stand still as he joined a host of celebrities to the launch the 'Bollywood' season at Selfridges last night.

Amitabh Bachchan, son of the celebrated Hindi poet, Harivanshrai Bachchan, has dominated the Hindi cinema since he rose to super-stardom as the archetypal 'angry young man' in the 1970s in the ground-breaking Zanjeer. He has starred in over 100 movies and won countless awards including the UK's favourite film hero where he fended off stiff competition from Lord Lawrence Olivier and Sir Alec Guinness in a BBC Internet poll last year.

His role in the recent global hit 'Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham' has brought him to an even bigger audience amongst mainstream cinema goers in Europe, and he has now conquered a new generation of TV fans as the host of India's 'Kaun Banega Crorepati'.

The ''231/2 Days of Bollywood' season will run at Selfridges from 3 - 26 May and represents the biggest celebration ever mounted of Bollywood's film culture. The transformation of the building itself is masterminded by Bollywood's most celebrated film designer, Nitin Desai whose recent work includes the worldwide hit 'Lagaan'. He has just completed work on Bollywood's biggest budget movie ever, the long-awaited $12 million remake of the classic 'Devdas', to be released later this summer.

The Selfridges season will include personal appearances by the stars, 'filmi' dance shows, film screenings, fashion shows, a season of interviews and discussions with leading authors, Indian Food Halls and restaurants. Bollywood fans will be thrilled to hear that apart from Amitabh Bachchan, Selfridges will also host personal appearances from other Bollywood Celebrities:

Personal Appearances

• 3 May - Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan in-store signing DVDs (London only)
• 4 May - Dimple Kapadia will be signing DVDs, 2.00pm onwards in the Bollywood Mansion, (London only).
• 5 May - Dimple Kapadia will be signing DVDs, 2.00pm onwards in the Bollywood Mansion, (London only).
• 10 May - Yash and Karan Johar, producer and director of Kabhi Khusi Kabhi Gham will be signing copies of their DVD, book and CD. 2pm - 4pm, London.
• 13 May - Justine Hardy and Chris England discuss their experiences of the Bollywood Film Industry.
• 11 May - Yash and Karan Johar, producer and director of Kabhi Khusi Kabhi Gham will be signing copies of their DVD, book and CD. From 1.30pm - 2.30pm Manchester.
• 14 May - Hrithik Roshan will be appearing in a catwalk fashion show (London only).
• 20 May - Nasreen Munni Kabir will be discussing her latest Channel 4 Book; 'Bollywood: The Indian Cinema Story'.
• 21 May - Meet Ayla Hussain, Cavan Mahony and Christy Turlington - the dynamic team of women behind the holistic ayurvedic skincare line SUNDARI between 12pm and 2pm. SUNDARI is the secret of Ayurvedic skincare - the traditional healing system of India -that help create an individual sense of well being suited to specific needs.
• 21 May - Ruchir Joshi, Hari Kunzru, Anita Nair, Shayama Perera and William Sutcliffe discuss modern South Asian literature.
• 22nd May - Ismail Merchant discusses his experiences in the Bollywood Film Industry.

Bollywood Homes

To celebrate the luxurious and opulent lifestyles that many of Bollywood's greats enjoy, Selfridges have invested in a full scale recreation of a Bollywood star, Dimple Kapadia's Mansion.

The Bollywood Star Mansion is designed by India's celebrated interior and fashion designers, Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla. Using the best local materials and reviving traditional techniques, Abu and Sandeep re-create an India of rajahs and maharanis for Bollywood and Hollywood's elite.

'231/2 Days of Bollywood'

Selfridges 3-26 May, London Oxford Street and Manchester Trafford Centre. For full details of the programme check the website: www.selfridges.com

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