Namaste India fest has Tokyo in frenzy

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Keywords: Rang De Basanti, Kajra Re

Tokyo: Bollywood music, humble kachori by the kilo and bangles by the dozen – all at an Indian carnival in Tokyo.

The Namaste India fete at the Japanese capital revealed an oriental love for all things Indian.

Who would have thought that the Japanese would have a soft corner for Bollywood and bhelpuri?

And if Kajrare got them jiving in their seats, Rang de Basanti was good enough to lure the audience onto the stage.

Organised by an NGO called India Centre Foundation, this two-day fest celebrated the essence of India -from jewellery to food to the inevitable Bollywood.

While the Japanese seemed to love every minute of it, for the Indians living in Japan, it was nostalgia all over.

“We are selling bhelpuri and we ask the customers if they want some spice in it. So they ask us whether too much spice would make them jump,” says an Indian participating in the festival.

So, now you know Bollywood has a cult following and it’s a phenomenon that's quite pan-asian!