NINETEEN-YEAR-OLD Bhavesh Kumar made his Bollywood debut with P Se Pyaar F Se Faraar in 2019. The young actor was recognised for his performance and is now waiting for the release of his adventure road trip film Hawayein. Calling himself a movie buff, he is fond of both foreign and Indian cinema. So, here are 10 of his favourite movies, in no particular order.
Parasite:This 2019 black comedy, directed by Bong Joon-ho, went on to win the Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best International Feature Film at the 92nd Academy Awards. I saw the movie before it got the Oscars, and liked it a lot. It shows two extremes of society and how a poor family wants to spend their lives without worrying about money for once. What I loved the most is the way they plan to get employed by the Park family.
Interstellar:This 2014 movie directed by Christopher Nolan featured Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathway. Who doesn’t love a good sci-fi movie? Even if you don’t understand science, I guess stars and planets attract everyone. It gives you all that. Every scene and every visual in the film is stunning. It keeps you excited and gives you goosebumps too. I think it is one of Nolan’s best works.
Olympus Has Fallen:This 2013 movie directed by Antoine Fuqua is another action thriller that’s my absolute favourite. It featured Gerard Butler, Morgan Freeman, and Aaron Eckhart. It is all about how a former secret agent rescues the American president after he was kidnapped. There are lots of fight scenes and Butler was outstanding in the film.
The Godfather:Be it the 1972 film or 1974 one or 1990, I love the whole series directed by Francis Ford Coppola. I know these are a little old, but you can fall in love with movies like this anytime. It’s all about mafia and the underworld, and what’s not to love in this genre. Be it the dialogues, the storyline or even the characters, this series was a game-changer in the cinematic world.
The Commuter:Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, this movie released in 2018. It featured Liam Neeson in the lead role. It revolved around the story of an ex-police officer working as an insurance salesman and how a stranger approaches him to find a passenger on his usual train. As the story progresses, he gets to know he is stuck in something big. What I loved about the movie is how Liam’s character tries to find the passenger with small clues.
ABCD: Any Body Can Dance:This 2013 movie was directed by Remo D’Souza. It featured Prabhu Deva and Kay Kay Menon, along with Punit Pathak, Dharmesh Yelande, Salman Yusuff Khan and Lauren Gottlieb. If you are a dance lover then you will instantly fall in love with the film, and even if you don’t love dance, this will make you fall in love with it. There’s drama, emotions, love stories and a lot of dance.
M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story:The 2016 movie was directed by Neeraj Pandey and featured the late Sushant Singh Rajput in the lead role. Coming from a sports background, I felt Dhoni’s pain through Sushant’s depiction on-screen. I am a Dhoni fan, but after this movie, I started admiring him more. And Sushant was fabulous in the film. I don’t think anyone could have played Dhoni with such perfection other than Sushant.
Bhaag Milkha Bhaag:Directed By Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, this 2013 movie featured Farhan Akhtar in the titular role. His transformation for this role was amazing. The movie ignites the patriotic feeling in you and leaves you inspired. You get that “I want to do something for my country” kind of feeling after watching this film.
Andaz Apna Apna:This movie was released in 1994, way before I was born. Directed by Rajkumar Santoshi, it starred Aamir Khan, Salman Khan, Karisma Kapoor and Raveena Tandon. Like I said, it was released way before my birth, but I watched it when it was airing on TV one Sunday, and I was laughing throughout. I just loved Salman and Aamir’s camaraderie in the film. Also, crime master Gogo and Teja were epic.
Agneepath:This is the 2012 remake of the 1990 classic of the same name. It was directed by Karan Malhotra and featured Hrithik Roshan, Priyanka Chopra and Sanjay Dutt. You can feel Hrithik’s pain in the movie and hate Sanjay’s character throughout. That itself shows how beautifully they portrayed their roles. I loved the songs too.
Forum brings UK and Chinese film professionals together to explore collaborations.
Emerging British-Asian talent gain mentorship and international exposure.
Small-scale dramas, kids’ shows, and adapting popular formats were the projects everyone was talking about.
Telling stories that feel real to their culture, yet can connect with anyone, is what makes them work worldwide.
Meeting three times a year keeps the UK and China talking, creating opportunities that last beyond one event.
The theatre was packed for the Third Shanghai–London Screen Industry Forum. Between panels and workshops, filmmakers, producers and executives discussed ideas and business cards and it felt more than just a summit. British-Asian filmmakers were meeting and greeting the Chinese industry in an attempt to explore genuine possibilities of working in China’s film market.
UK China film collaborations take off as Third Shanghai London Forum connects British Asian filmmakers with Chinese studios Instagram/ukchinafilm
What makes the forum important for British-Asian filmmakers?
For filmmakers whose films explore identity and belonging, this is a chance to show their work on an international stage, meet Chinese directors, talk co-productions and break cultural walls that normally feel unscalable. “It’s invaluable,” Abid Khan said after a panel, “because you can’t create globally if you don’t talk globally.”
And it’s not just established names. Young filmmakers were all around, pitching ideas and learning on the go. The forum gave them a chance to get noticed with mentoring, workshops, and live pitch sessions.
Which projects are catching international attention?
Micro-dramas are trending. Roy Lu of Linmon International says vertical content for apps is “where it’s at.” They’ve done US, Canada, Australia and next stop, Europe. YouTube is back in focus too, thanks to Rosemary Reed of POW TV Studios. Short attention spans and three-minute hits, she’s ready.
Children’s and sports shows are another hotspot. Jiella Esmat of 8Lions is developing Touch Grass, a football-themed children’s show. The logic is simple: sports and kids content unite families, like global glue.
Then there’s format adaptation. Lu also talked about Nothing But 30, a Chinese series with 7 billion streams. The plan is for an english version in London. Not a straight translation, but a cultural transformation. “‘30’ in London isn’t just words,” Lu says. “It’s a new story.”
Jason Zhang of Stellar Pictures says international audiences respond when culture isn’t just a background prop. Lanterns, flowers, rituals, they’re part of the plot. Cedric Behrel from Trinity CineAsia adds: you need context. Western audiences don’t know Journey to the West, so co-production helps them understand without diluting the story.
Economic sense matters too. Roy Lu stresses: pick your market, make it financially viable. Esmat likens ideal co-productions to a marriage: “Multicultural teams naturally think about what works globally and what doesn’t.”
The UK-China Film Collab’s Future Talent Programme is taking on eight students or recent grads this year. They’re getting the backstage access to international filmmaking that few ever see, including mentorship, festival organising and hands-on experience. Alumni are landing real jobs: accredited festival journalists, Beijing producers, curators at The National Gallery.
Adrian Wootton OBE reminded everyone: “We exist through partnerships, networks, and collaboration.” Yin Xin from Shanghai Media Group noted that tri-annual gathering: London, Shanghai, Hong Kong create an “intensive concentration” of ideas.
Actor-director Zhang Luyi said it best: cultural exchange isn’t telling your story to someone, it’s creating stories together.
The Shanghai-London Screen Industry Forum is no longer just a talking shop. It’s a launchpad, a bridge. And for British-Asian filmmakers and emerging talent, it’s a chance to turn ideas into reality.
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