Kolkata: Bollywood is increasingly becoming popular in the UK, but extending its appeal beyond the 2.5 million Asian population in the country was one of the biggest challenges, British Deputy High Commissioner Dr Andrew Hall said today (Nov 11, 2004).

"One of the biggest challenges for the future is to extend the appeal of Bollywood films beyond the UK's 2.5 million Asian-origin population," Hall said while speaking at the inauguration of Film Market 2004, the buyer-seller forum of the 10th Kolkata Film Festival.

He said this was happening with more Bollywood-inspired films such as 'Bride and Prejudice' that combined British and Indian talent.

"The success of 'Lagaan' in breaking through and reaching a wider audience was enormously to the credit of Indian film industry and now it is Gurinder Chadha's hugely successful 'Bride and Prejudice'," Hall said.

He said Britain, with more than two million people of South Asian origin, was a major market for Bollywood films.

Quoting 2003 figures of British Film Institute, the High Commissioner said, 54 Bollywood films grossed 8.1 million Pounds at the box office compared with 8.2 million Pounds from 29 British movies.

"When it comes to foreign language films shown in the UK, Bollywood is way ahead of the rest of the pack," he said.

In 2003, 54 Bollywood movies made 8.1 million Pounds, while 25 French films grossed 2.8 million Pounds, seven German films 2.4 million Pounds, two Portuguese films, including 'City of God' from Brazil 2.4 million Pounds and 10 Japanese films 1.3 million Pounds, Hall said.