|  | On Sunday 15th August to mark Indian Independence Day, the Vue cinema in Plymouth is screening the Bollywood blockbuster 'Hum Tum'.
For people living in Bristol or Birmingham this isn't a big deal but for the Asian community living in Devon and Cornwall this is a rare treat!
The push to have Bollywood shown in a mainstream cinema in Plymouth came after BBC Radio Devon's Roots project ran a special showing of the classic Kabhie Kushi Kabhi Gham.
Timed to celebrate the first birthday of the South Asian Society, the event was an eye opener for Yash Raj films.
Until then they'd never considered screening their offerings in Devon.
Avtar Panesar, head of UK and European Operations, was so impressed by the passion shown by the community that he promised to help bring Hindi film to the city.
 | | Hum Tum follows the relationship of Karan and Rhea. |
Hum Tum is the result of that promise and hopefully the first of many future screenings. Working alongside the BBC to promote Hum Tum is The South Asian Society (SAaS) - a support network for Devon and Cornwall's increasingly large South Asian community.
Since it was set up two years ago, SAaS has built up wide membership of 200 people from countries surrounding the Indian sub-continent or part of the Asian Diaspora. It's a secular organisation representing a wide range of cultural and religious groups that include academics, health service professionals, businessmen and students who share a common cultural identity.
According to SAaS chair Ravi Jhangiani it is important that the society remains inclusive as the Asian community is relatively small and needs to speak with a common voice.  | | Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan. |
Since the society's inception it has organised a number of events including religious and cultural celebrations such as Diwali, Eid and Navraatri.
The society believes its efforts are vital to ensure the community doesn't feel isolated and unsupported. According to Jayanthibhai Bhagavanji, SAaS's events organiser, the screening of a Hindi film in a mainstream venue sends out a powerful message to the South Asian community that they are an integral part of the wider community in Devon and Cornwall.
"Unless we start catering to the needs of our community there will be little incentive for them to stay in the South West and the expertise and investment they bring with them will be lost to the region," he said For more information about the South Asian Society and its' calendar of activities please contact Ravi Jhangiani on 077333 44194.
|
