In a special issue of the 'South Asian Popular
Cinema' journal several British film scholars
have cited many texts and anecdotal evidence
to show why Awaara has been seen and enjoyed
by so many people. The journal also explores
how Indian films in “various national
contexts outside South Asia and includes several
papers exploring the popularity of Indian
films in places such as Greece, Bulgaria,
Africa and Turkey. The most significant point
here is that that the
journal casts “fresh light on the popularity
of Indian films beyond the better-known overseas
markets such as the US and Britain.”
Dina Iordanova, professor at the University
of St Andrews, recalled her Bulgarian childhood
and her memory of the film: ''I knew Indian
films long before I had met any living Indian.
We knew next to nothing of India and the
Indians; we did not know much of the personality
of Raj Kapoor either. ''However, the fascination
with a film like 'Awaara' (Brodyaga in Bulgarian)
was everlasting; everybody knew the actor's
ever-singing dancing persona. Nothing could
match up to the experience of watching 'Awaara';
this film was more fascinating than any
other I can remember."
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