Indonesia is one of the many countries in Asia which has a thriving community of Bollywood film fanatics. Like many, even Indonesians love Bollywood films because of their ability to evoke strong emotional reactions. Although, films from Mumbai are quite popular in Indonesian, not much collaboration has taken place between the movie industries of these two countries. With so many Bollywood fans here, probably soon we could see some Bolly artists performing concerts here.
Bali is among the world’s favorite vacation islands, with a fascinating natural landscape. Several Hollywood movies have been shot here, and now even Bollywood film producers are showing interest in capturing the beauty of Bali in their forthcoming movies.
The advantage to Indian filmmakers is that Indonesia offers them ‘virgin’ locations at a much cheaper cost compared to many other countries around the world. Besides, Balinese culture is closely related to India as the majority of Balinese are Hindus.
Bollywood films are quite popular in Indonesia, with several fan clubs dedicated to their Bollywood stars. The emphasis on family ties, traditional values and humanity, is more in Indian films than in Western cinema, which makes it so popular among Indonesians.
Bollywood Movies Shot in Indonesia
Bollywood movies shot in Indonesia, include ‘Bheja Fry 2’.
Pooja Bhatt, who had visited Indonesia couple of years back, is keen to show the beauty, traditional heritage and cultural richness of Bali/Indonesia in her forthcoming film ‘Cabaret’.
Even though Indian filmmakers are aware of the advantages of shooting in this country, there are a few problem areas as well when it comes to shooting in this country, such as:
- Lack of direct flights between the two countries, which hampers business projects.
- Bureaucratic procedures involved in securing shooting permits are lengthy, which needs to be made simpler.
- Lack of incentives (such as tax rebates) to the International cinema industry by the Indonesian government
If these areas are sorted out (and hopefully it will), more Indian production houses should be interested in shooting in this beautiful country.
Popularity of Bollywood in Indonesia
Bollywood is a source of entertainment for many Indonesians. Hindi movies are shown about twice a day on different channels. Even on television, several of their advertisements are made in India (featuring stars such as Shahrukh khan, showing women wearing saris) but dubbed in Indonesian.
“Kuch Kuch Hota Hai” and “Titanic” were screened in Indonesia in the same year, but the former was a much bigger success here.
In fact, most theaters in Indonesia charge more for Bollywood movies compared to Hollywood movies, because of their popularity and also because Indian films are usually longer (some even run for up to four hours).
Bollywood movies are hugely popular in Indonesia, especially on the islands of Bali and Java, where the local music and dance scene is heavily influenced by Indian tradition and performing arts.
On the radio many FM stations broadcast Hindi music, as well as Bollywood influenced dangdut. Its quite common to hear popular melodies from hit Bollywood songs reincarnated as dangdut numbers by putting Indonesian lyrics to the songs.
Indonesia Tourism
The tourist attractions in Indonesia are its sprawling archipelago, natural beauty, historical heritage and cultural diversity. Bali is one of its most popular destinations and has beautiful beaches, mountains, forests, and more.
Capital: Jakarta
Official languages: Indonesian
Currency: Rupiah (Rp) (IDR)
Drives on the: left
Calling code: +62
The capital city of Jakarta may come across as an overwhelming experience at first, due to its extreme liveliness, but beyond it’s chaotic appearances lies a great number of unforgettable experiences. Jakarta and it’s surroundings are the world second largest urban area in the world.
Deep Ties Between Indonesia and India
The ties between Indonesia and India go deep and date back to the times of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.
- Swarnabhumi (Sumatra) finds mention in Jataka stories while there is reference to ‘Yava Dwipa’ or Java in the Ramayana.
- In old Javanese language, there are around 30 per cent Sanskrit words
- Indian immigrants in the Malay Archipelago are still called Kaling in Medan, Indonesia (similar to the name Kalinga, by which the inhabitants of Orissa were once known).
- During the rule of King Sriwijaya, many Indonesians went to Nalanda University in India.
- Indonesia absorbed the three main religions of India: Hinduism from ancient times; Buddhism in the medieval period; and Islam from the 12th century onwards (by the Indian traders, mainly from Gujarat)
- Prambanan Hindu temple (Yogyakarta in Central Java, Indonesia) was constructed in the 9th century and was dedicated to Trimurti, the highest three gods in Hinduism. The temple is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, currently it is the largest Hindu temple in Indonesia, and is one of the largest Hindu temples in south-east Asia.
- An Indian cultural centre exists in the resort island of Bali. Similarly, Balinese Hindus are building a Hindu temple in native architectural style on the banks of the Ganges at Rishikesh.
Top Things to Do and Must See in Jakarta/Indonesia.
- Yogyakarta – hub for historical and cultural Java, has the magnificent temples of Borobudur and Prambanan.
- Borobudur – Located 40 km (25 miles) northwest of Yogyakarta on Java, the Borobudur is the one of the most famous Buddhist temple in the world.
- Mount Bromo – Located at Bromo-Tengger-Semeru National Park, with several active and dormant volcanoes, one of the most visited tourist attractions in Indonesia and Java.
- Lake Toba – largest volcanic lake in the world, great place to unwind. Often referred to as “a lake on an island within a lake on an island”
- Bali – Very popular with tourists, offers varied landscape with rugged coastlines, tropical beaches, lush rice terraces and volcanic hillsides. Idyllic beaches, misty treks across volcanoes, and laidback coasts. At night you can even set out for a party or two along Kuta night clubs.
- Lombok/Gili Islands – A relaxed and laid-back place, no cars or motorbikes to disturb the peace, with countless little beachside cafes still playing reggae. The more adventurous can trek at Gunung Rinjani or surf the great waves at coast.
- Tanjung Puting National Park – Located on the island of Borneo, great place to see Wildlife — orangutans, gibbons, pythons, crocodiles and more.
- Bunaken – Indonesia’s most famous dive and snorkeling areas.
- Raja Ampat – Known as one of the best diving destination in Indonesia and the world
- Tana Toraja – Popular destination (highland) in Southern Sulawesi, famous for their massive peaked-roof houses (known as tongkonan) and interesting funeral rites.
- Baliem Valley – Offers a glimpse of the stone-age world, best place to explore the Papua area in Indonesia, you’ll find tribes, which are still practicing rites and ceremonies from ancient times.
- Komodo National Park – UNESCO World Heritage Site famous for the Komodo Dragon, which is the largest living lizard that can reach 3 meters or more in length and weigh over 70kg.
Checkout this video of Destination Indonesia.
