The Toronto International Film Festival, among the most prestigious and high profile events of its kind, has discovered Indian cinema. From just four films from the parallel cinema category last year, it rolled out a multi-course Indian meal this year. Screenings ranged from commercial movies like 'Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna' and Kabul Express, to regional films like Maati Maay and Vanaja, documentaries, as well as foreign films with Indian connections, like Mira Nair’s The Namesake, John Jeffcoat’s Outsourced, and Tarsem’s The Fall.

If the Toronto International Film Festival had a strong Indian flavour this year, the spice was added by Cameron Bailey, a programmer in charge of films from south Asia, who brought in Bollywood.

Programmer, Toronto International Film Festival, Cameron Bailey told SAW, “It’s such an important part of world popular cinema, we felt we should have it. And we have a big audience here in Toronto that’s already familiar with this cinema, which we wanted to bring into the mainstream of the festival. We were able to have a gala presentation with over two thousand screaming fans with Shah Rukh Khan and Mr Amitabh Bachchan in attendance. That’s exactly the kind of event we want at the festival.”

But his interest goes beyond just Bollywood. Bailey made two trips to India in the last 12 months, watching over a hundred Indian films in various languages during this period. The result was that the smaller films like Chitra Palekar’s 'Maati Maay', Rajnesh Domalpalli’s 'Vanaja' and A Cry in the Dark, a documentary from Manipur, got onto the global stage.

Programmer, Toronto International Film Festival, Cameron Bailey says, “It’s the variety of cinema in India that’s striking. You get a range of cinema just in one country that you get in almost the whole of Western Europe.

The Toronto International Film Festival is not only showcasing a number of films from India, it also hosted the world premiere of Outsourced, a self-explanatory comedy set in India. The film starring Josh Hamilton and Ayesha Dharker was shot earlier this year mainly in Mumbai, and also in Seattle. Director John Jeffcoat plans to bring the film to the International Film Festival of India in Goa later this year, and is in talks for its theatrical release.

The organizers’ faith in Indian cinema paid off. While blockbusters like 'Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna' drew hordes of screaming fans, rivaling Brad Pitt and Russell Crowe’s appearances in Toronto, other films also played to sold out halls and received positive feedback.

With its successful experience with Indian cinema this year, the Toronto International Film Festival plans to strengthen its association with India further next year, adding a focus on south Indian cinema. So Rajnikanth fans will have something to scream about along with Shah Rukh Khan’s fans.