Our programmer Thomas about Bollywood Classics:

"Here at Filmhuis Den Haag, we believe that film is not only art, but also memory, music and emotion. With the new series Bollywood Classics, we shine a spotlight on a cinematic tradition that has been alive for decades, but is rarely programmed structurally in the arthouse circuit: classic Bollywood from the 1960s, ’70s, and ’80s.

These films are grand in every way: style, drama, color, and above all, music. Because Bollywood sings. No other film tradition weaves music into storytelling as effortlessly as Bollywood does. Think of the influential sounds of R.D. Burman, the irresistible energy of Bappi Lahiri, and the iconic voice of Asha Bhosle, who defined generations of soundtracks.

With record stores like Sunhill Records in the past, The Hague has also carved a deep groove through which the music of Bollywood flows richly. That musical legacy still lives on today and deserves to be heard and felt on the big screen.

With Bollywood Classics, we’re making space for this form of cinema. Not as a nostalgic detour, but as a fully-fledged part of the rich film history we aim to showcase. Every month, we present two screenings where audiences can immerse themselves in this captivating world, where music and image merge into pure cinema."