Partying Bollywood style

Mon, July 31, 2017 / 12:43 am

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A visitor reads a Bollywood magazine while waiting for the Bollywood festival to start at the Gajayana Playhouse in Malang, East Java, on Sept. 21, 2014. JP/Aman Rochman
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A Bollywood Mania members puts on her makeup before the festival begins. JP/Aman Rochman
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Dancers walk to the stage prior to their performance at the Bollywood Mania Festival. JP/Aman Rochman
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A singer sings an Indian song during the festival while spectators take pictures. JP/Aman Rochman
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Some boys watch female dancers gear up for their turn to perform. JP/Aman Rochman
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Singer and dancers entertain spectators at the festival. JP/Aman Rochman
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A visitor has her hand painted on the sidelines of the festival. JP/Aman Rochman
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Transgender community members perform a Bollywood-style dance during the festival. JP/Aman Rochman
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Transgender members put on their makeup and costumes for a stage play during the festival. JP/Aman Rochman
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A Mahabarata movie poster is visible in the makeup room of the Gajayana Playhouse in Malang, East Java. JP/Aman Rochman
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Halimah, 38, is busy touching up her makeup before her turn to perform. JP/Aman Rochman
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Nustain, 48, from Jakarta, poses with friends before the festival begins. JP/Aman Rochman
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East Java Bollywood Mania Club Indonesia members enjoy their food and drinks during a gathering at the Purwodadi Zoo in Pasuruan, East Java, on Sunday, July 17. JP/Aman Rochman
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The club members use a radio to broadcast their event and play Bollywood songs during their holidays. JP/Aman Rochman
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Ahmad Supriyadi, 31, whose stage name is Priyanka Chopra in tribute to the Indian actress, wears an Indian costume during the halal bi halal gathering at Purwodadi Zoo in Pasuruan. JP/Aman Rochman
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Some tools, used for radio streaming, are put on a mat during the gathering. JP/Aman Rochman

The sound of gendang (drums) can be heard from inside an old theater in Malang, East Java.

People come with their families and friends wearing typical Indian sarees with kumkum ornaments (red marks on the forehead).

They’re participating in the first Bollywood Mania Festival.

The festival was initiated to accommodate fans of Indian movie actors and actresses in Malang.

Besides performances showcasing Indian culture and arts, they also hold a syukuran (thanksgiving ceremony) for the Bollywood Mania Club Indonesia (BMCI) East Java chapter. The community was founded in 1980 and has thousands of members across Indonesia.

Dancers and singers prepare their makeup and costumes backstage.

Bollywood fans from different cities, including Jakarta, Cirebon and Bandung in West Java, Denpasar, Surakarta and Surabaya, attend the festival.

"I arrived from Jakarta with three friends to perform a dance,” said 45-year-old Musatin.

“The most important thing from the festival is that members of Bollywood Mania can meet other members from other regions. I’ve loved Indian arts and culture since I was a teenager."

The ceremony kicks off at 10 a.m. with a modern Indian dance by members of the dance community, followed by Indian song performances.

Not many Bollywood Mania members are of Indian descent. Their appearance is mostly influenced by the movies with their favorite actors and actresses. [yan]