Taiwan Envoy Mumin Chen Praises Indian Cinema at New Delhi Festival

Taiwanese representative Mumin Chen praised Indian cinema at the Taiwan Film Festival in Delhi, emphasizing the power of film to foster cultural exchange and cooperation between India and Taiwan through shared storytelling and artistic ties.

Representative, Taipei Economic and Cultural Centre in India

Taiwan Envoy Appreciates Indian Political Cinema

New Delhi [India], October 24 (ANI): Representative of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Centre in India, Mumin Chen, has named 'Dhurandhar' as the most impressive Indian film he watched last year, highlighting his interest in political cinema at the Taiwan Film Festival in New Delhi. “Because I am also a political science professor and right now working as an ambassador. So I watch a lot of political movies in India,” Chen said while speaking to ANI and explaining his interest in Indian films, adding, “So last year, the most impressive one I saw was Dhurandhar.”

Chen also praised Aamir Khan for his work as an actor and producer, while expressing admiration for other major Indian film stars, including Shah Rukh Khan. “And about Indian actors and also movie producers, I think Aamir Khan is very impressive,” Chen said. He recalled watching Khan's films from his younger days and appreciated his more recent work as a producer, particularly films addressing Indian society and critical social issues. “Because I have been watching his film when he was young and he produces some very good movies about Indian societies, some very critical issues,” he said, adding, “And of course, other bigger movie icons like Shah Rukh Khan, I also love them.”

Promoting Cultural Diplomacy Through Film

Chen's comments came as the Taiwan Film Festival showcased Taiwanese cinema in New Delhi, with a selection of documentaries and dramas designed to introduce Indian audiences to Taiwan's culture, technology and sporting achievements. Explaining the festival's broader objective, Chen said Taiwanese people, like Indians, enjoy watching films, but awareness of Taiwanese cinema among Indian audiences remains limited. “Taiwanese, just like Indians, also like movies; like I also watch a movie every week. But very few Indian friends know about Taiwanese movies,” he said.

He noted that the festival had been held in Delhi annually in recent years and expanded to Mumbai this year, with organisers selecting films to offer audiences a broader perspective on Taiwan. “We also select dramas. We want Indian friends to have a more comprehensive view of Taiwan, different aspects,” Chen said.

Fostering India-Taiwan Cooperation

Chen also highlighted the festival's emphasis on Taiwan's sporting achievements and technological strengths, describing cinema as a medium to communicate Taiwan's identity to Indian audiences. Referring to a baseball film about Taiwan's team winning a world championship, Chen said the story represented a broader message about perseverance in the face of challenges. “But what I want Indian friends to know is that this is the spirit of Taiwan. You never give up,” he said. He added that Taiwan's semiconductor industry, high technology and other areas were aspects of the country that Indian audiences should know more about, describing them as strengths that could support closer cooperation between Taiwan and India.

Chen also expressed interest in greater collaboration between the Indian and Taiwanese film industries, saying the festival in Mumbai was intended to help filmmakers and producers recognise opportunities for cooperation. “Actually, before, we already have some Indian movies that they shoot in Taiwan. And there was also some Taiwan-India joint cooperation making movies. But not enough,” he said. “We want to see more because India is a big movie country. And Taiwanese people also like to see movies very much. So this is a good opportunity for both sides to cooperate in the future,” he added.

Insights from Festival Organizers

Isabelle Ling, head of the cultural division of TECC, also spoke to ANI about the festival's programme, explaining that this year's edition was being organised in both Delhi and Mumbai. She explained that the programme included documentaries, dramas and films representing different genres, with the intention of giving Indian audiences a broader understanding of Taiwanese life and culture. Asked how the films were selected, Ling said the organisers wanted to communicate the idea of “Team Taiwan” by combining three central themes: sport, technology and culture.

Ling said that presenting these different themes was particularly important given Taiwan's position in the international community. “Because for us, it's not easy to survive in the international society. So we want Indian audiences to know about our Taiwanese culture,” she said. She also highlighted the existing interest in Indian cinema in Taiwan and expressed a desire to encourage more Indian viewers to explore Taiwanese films.

Ling also shared her enthusiasm for Indian films, saying she regularly watches them on Netflix and appreciates the way Indian filmmakers can build engaging stories around seemingly ordinary subjects. She said, “I watch a lot of Indian movies on Netflix. For example, 'Toaster'. The best thing in Indian movies is that they can discover a very, very small thing. Then they extend it into a very beautiful story.” Ling added that Taiwanese audiences and filmmakers could learn from the storytelling approaches seen in Indian cinema.

Cultural Exchange and Personal Reflections

Miyu Huang, a dance school teacher, also spoke to ANI about participating in the Taiwan Film Festival in New Delhi. Huang said her group had travelled to India for a performance and was also participating in cultural events that brought Taiwanese and Indian traditions together. She explained that the group had a performance planned for Taiwan's National Day and would also participate in the Lai Haraoba festival, presenting Taiwanese culture and a dance-fusion drama based on the Ramayana. “We also have a performance on our Taiwan National Day. We also go to the Lai Haraoba Dance Festival to perform Taiwanese culture and the Ramayana, the dance fusion drama,” Huang said.

Eric Erickson, an American who has been living in Delhi since 2019, also attended the festival after learning about it through Taiwanese friends. “I’m Eric Erickson. I've been living in Delhi since 2019. I've been working here. I'm from the United States of America,” he said. Erickson said he had watched 'Hero Hito' at the festival and found the experience particularly memorable because some of the film's opening scenes were shot in Arizona, where he grew up.

The 2026 Taiwan Film Festival in India is currently taking place in New Delhi from October 24 to October 25, 2026, before moving to Mumbai on October 31. Organised by Taiwan's Ministry of Culture and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Centre in India (TECC India), the festival showcases contemporary Taiwanese cinema covering themes like sports culture, technology, family, and gender diversity. (ANI)

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