Lively Bollywood dances open Indian Film Festival in Bishkek

10:19, 16 марта 2026, Bishkek - 24.kg news agency , Darya NESTEROVA

The opening ceremony of the second Indian Film Days in Bishkek began with a vibrant Bollywood-style dance show. The festive program «Rhythms of Bollywood» took place on the stage of the Toktobolot Abdumomunov Kyrgyz National Academic Drama Theatre and marked a colorful start to the cultural event.

The dance performance was prepared by the Kaukhar Folk Dance Ensemble and its director Alina Asangazieva. The artists performed dances inspired by famous Indian films, conveying the atmosphere of Indian cinema through bright costumes, dynamic music, and lively Bollywood-style dances.

The Indian Film Days are being held in Bishkek from March 15 to 18. The event is organized by the Embassy of India in the Kyrgyz Republic together with the state film center Kyrgyztasmasy, with the support of the Ministry of Culture, Information and Youth Policy of the Kyrgyz Republic. Film screenings are taking place at the Chingiz Aitmatov Cinema House.

At the opening ceremony, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of India to Kyrgyzstan Birender Singh Yadav noted that Indian films are widely known for their ability to bring joy to audiences and help them escape everyday concerns.

According to him, Indian cinema reflects the country’s cultural and linguistic diversity.

Director of the state film center Kyrgyztasmasy Almaz Tulekeev emphasized that cultural cooperation between Kyrgyzstan and India is actively developing.

According to him, similar festivals have been held before and always attract strong interest from audiences in Kyrgyzstan.

«India is very active in the film industry. A similar festival was held last autumn. This shows the strong interest of people in Kyrgyzstan in Indian culture and cinema,» he noted.

A festive atmosphere filled the theatre hall as the audience warmly welcomed the performances by the Kaukhar dancers, who demonstrated the rhythm, and emotional expressiveness characteristic of Indian dance.

As part of the festival, several Indian films will be presented to viewers:

• March 16 — Run, Milkha, Run (Hindi, Russian dubbing), telling the story of the legendary runner Milkha Singh;
• March 17 — The Journey of Bumba (Assamese, Russian subtitles), about a small school with only one student;
• March 18 — Commander (Marathi, Russian subtitles), about a boy dreaming of leading a school parade.

All screenings are free of charge, with seating provided on a first-come, first-served basis starting daily at 12:00 at the Cinema House.

The festival is held with the support of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting of India and the National Film Development Corporation of India and aims to strengthen cultural ties between India and Kyrgyzstan.