Brazilian-Indian soap opera “Passage to India” launched in Kazakhstan

ASTANA - The premier Kazakh entertainment TV Channel 31 launched the Brazilian-Indian soap opera titled “Passage to India” on Kazakh television on Thursday.

The soap opera, or novella, as it is called in Brazil, is titled “Caminho das Indias” in the original Portuguese and has successfully brought India into the living rooms of a large majority of Brazilian homes for close to a year over recent months.

The Caminho story is a 50-50 mix between India and Brazil with all the beautiful Brazilian girls falling head over shoulders in love with Indians and vice-versa leading to complicated love triangles and hilarious situations in the two countries.

All the roles are performed by well-known and popular Brazilian stars and actors. The whole story is recounted in Portuguese though with a liberal sprinkling of colloquial Hindi phrases to make them sound authentic and real.

The Embassy of India in Kazakhstan has worked with Channel 31 to bring this TV serial to Kazakhstan. It will be telecast on prime time every working day in the evening in Russian language and rebroadcast the next morning in Kazakh language.

Speaking at the inaugural launch, India’s Ambassador to Kazakhstan Ashok Sajjanhar said the decision by a commercial channel to bring this telenovella to Kazakhstan, both in Russian and Kazakh languages, was evidence of the growing and vibrant relations between India and Kazakhstan.

Ambassador Sajjanhar referred to the keen interest amongst the people of Kazakhstan in Indian dance, music, culture, films, food, customs and traditions.

He recalled the Grand Gala Concerts organised by the Embassy in Almaty and Astana in November, 2009 which were so popular that hundreds of viewers had to go back disappointed as they were not able to get admission to the auditoria.

He added that the Embassy would continue to organise and bring new programmes to showcase both classical and mainstream contemporary Indian culture to the people of Kazakhstan.

Ambassador Sajjanhar said that although several instances and portrayals in the Brazilian novella might be clichid, stereotyped or somewhat inaccurate, they will go a significant way in raising curiosity and interest of the friendly people of Kazakhstan to know more about developments and evolution of the Indian society.

Ambassador Sajjanhar said that the Embassy will shortly be establishing the India-Kazakhstan Cultural and Humanitarian Forum which will promote greater understanding and appreciation of each others heritage and legacy between the people of the two countries.

The budget of the telenovella exceeded 50 million dollars. It has run successfully in Brazil for about a year and is now all set to take over the minds and thoughts of people in Kazakhstan.

The novella has been filmed in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, in Dubai as well as in Jaipur and Mumbai in India. It won the Emmy Award for the best telenovella in 2009.

The telecast of this serial will go a significant way in further promoting understanding and cooperation and strengthening relations between India and Kazakhstan. (ANI)