Putin and Modi to Discuss Boosting Bollywood's Presence in Russia During Upcoming BRICS Summit

Russia has always admired Bollywood movies whether it was Raj Kapoor’s ‘Awara’, Mithun Chakraborty’s ‘Disco Dancer’ to the Modern day Indian Cinema. The movies always works in that region. And on Friday Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his willingness to discuss promoting Indian films further in Russia, underscoring their popularity in the country. Speaking with foreign journalists on Friday, Putin highlighted the enduring appeal of Bollywood, mentioning iconic films

“I think that in this country, Indian films are more popular than anywhere else,’’ said Putin, adding that Russia already has a dedicated TV channel showing Indian movies round the clock.

As Prime Minister Narendra Modi prepares to visit Kazan for the BRICS Summit on October 22-23, Putin hinted that Indian films could be a key topic of discussion. “Cinema products and film industry are a part of the economy, and are to be duly regulated. India has made a lot of decisions to protect its own market,” he noted, stressing the importance of marketing Indian movies more effectively in Russia. He drew parallels with India’s pharmaceutical and automotive sectors in terms of market regulation.

“But we are positive that if the Indian friends have this interest, we will find common ground to promote Indian films to the Russian market,” Putin said, calling Indian films a “very relevant and popular product.”

He also expressed optimism about the upcoming discussions with Modi, saying, “I am sure we will come to terms 100 per cent.”