An Indian–Nigerian filmmaker is breaking cultural barriers by bringing Nollywood and Bollywood together through storytelling. The collaboration highlights shared values, traditions, and creative energy between Indian and Nigerian cinema.
For years Indian and Nigerian cultures have influenced the global language and entertainment quietly. Terms like “Namaste” from India and “wahala,” a Nigerian term for trouble popularized through Afrobeats, are now readily accepted worldwide. The collaboration behind Bollywood and Nollywood, however, has been used sparingly despite cultural commonalities.
Filmmaker Brings Indian and Nigerian Cultures Together
Two worlds collide with lively Indian-Nigerian director Hamisha Daryani Ahuja. Born in Mumbai, Ahuja was raised in Lagos and is intent on bridging the gap between the world's two largest film industries. Her first movie, Namaste Wahala, was proposed as a grand attempt to fuse Indian and Nigerian cinemas.
Why Bollywood and Nollywood Have Never Met Before
As Ahuja observed, Bollywood films have been in high demand for decades within Nigeria. “Nollywood grew up on Bollywood,” Ahuja has posed on why the two never cemented any official collaboration when values were said to be held in common, such as family, tradition, and emotion.
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Global Success of Namaste Wahala
In the first half of 2021, Namaste Wahala, released on Netflix during the Covid-19 pandemic, became a worldwide sensation. The romantic comedy was later referenced by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a visit to Nigeria in late 2024. Motivated by the success, Ahuja stated that a second Namaste Wahala movie is now in the works.
Cross-Cultural Love Story
Set in Lagos, the story revolves around an Indian banker who fell for a Nigerian lawyer against the family's wish, with an arrangement of cultural clashes and minglings. The film is laced with dialogues in English, Hindi, and Nigerian Pidgin.
More Cross-Cultural Projects Slated to Come
Ahuja has developed the Netflix series Postcards after her debut and is now planning to launch an animated series called Simi and Friends. The story revolves around a child with an Indian mother and a Nigerian father, smoothly blending both cultures, right into everyday details such as food.
Shared Values, Real Challenges
According to Ahuja, the ease with which the two cultures connect is found in family and tradition common to each. On the other hand, these cross-cultural films come with challenges ranging from food options to differences in work culture. But through cinema, she proudly sees herself as a cultural translator that brings these two vibrant worlds together.
