Writer-director Hamisha Daryani Ahuja, whose movie Namaste Wahala is a love story between an Indian man and a Nigerian woman, says Bollywood has had a strong impact on Nollywood (the Nigerian film industry).
“Nigerians have grown up watching and loving Bollywood films. Names like Amitabh Bachchan, Hema Malini and Shah Rukh Khan are household names in many parts. Many of my Nigerian friends have watched Hindi movies growing up and can even quote famous Hindi lines. Nollywood is the second-largest film industry in the world in terms of output, second only to Bollywood. So Bollywood serves as a huge inspiration for us and I can't wait to see how this new genre enfolds," said Ahuja.
Namaste Wahala happens to be the first film that is the product of a collaboration between Nollywood and Bollywood.
The movie highlights the differences as well as colourful similarities between Indian and Nigerian cultures. The film stars Indian actor Ruslaan Mumtaz and Nigerian actor Ini Dima-Okojie.
The film was released on Netflix on Valentine's Day.