 The Indian film industry, enthralling, exciting and enigmatic. Movies churned out by the largest movie producing nation in the world are not just the staple entertainers of people of the Indian subcontinent but enthrallers to audiences around the world. From east to west, the Indian film industry captures the imagination of audiences from across boundaries, cultures and nations. Attracting viewers from across cultures and making them a part of the Indian experience, Hindi films are that medium. On the streets of Berlin, one could find a group of girls singing Om Shanti Om, a popular song from a Hindi film. Posters of Indian films and film stars glare out of popular video libraries in countries around the world. Fans in Britain and France scream for Indian film stars and cheer them on as they walk the red carpet on various international film festivals. It was in the 1950s that Russia was introduced to Hindi films for the first time. As it prelude to the visit of the then Indian Prime Minister Javaharlal Nehru to the erstwhile Soviet Union, a Hindi film titled Awara was screened in the country. And instantly it struck a chord with the Russians. Like Russian cinema, the film presented the pro-poor, pro-working class propaganda at the time. But the imaginative and splendid settings left a mesmerizing effect on the Russians. Theaters resounded with applause and appreciation for the film. We really make films on our value systems. We, unlike any other film in the world, we still cater to that same audience, which is basically an Indian audience. We look after the emotional angle. We look after the fact that basically all Indians are people of the heart. So we try to keep the approach more to the heart. And I think that's what makes Indian films Indian films. Values of true friendship, love and family honor, compassion for the poor and needy, respect for elders, equality and social justice are shared by nations and civilizations across the world. It is Hindi films that bring them alive on screen and thereby engulf the imagination of its audience, making them aware of what they might have forgotten or lost in the race to success. Mother India's popularity in India reached epic proportions and the world stood to applaud it too. The film was nominated for the Oscar awards in the best foreign film category. It is rumored to have lost out on the award by a single vote. Apart from the resonating emotions and virtues, it is the mesmerizing music of Hindi cinema and its overall grandeur that attracts the international audience to it. Musicals may be rare and far between in Hollywood, but one can rarely come across a Hindi film that does not have songs. In 1994, Suraj Parjathya released his film titled, Hamaat ke hain kaun or Who Am I To You. The film, well above three hours, had audiences from across the world lauding it. A greater chunk of the film depicted the fun and frolic of wedding functions in India. Hindi films continue to bring audiences face to face with virtues and values that lie dormant within them in the race to succeed. They continue to bring alive emotions that we may have forgotten and remind us of what is human and the little emotions that must stay alive in each and every one of us. Respect for fellow human beings, respect for elders and family, struggle for justice and social equality, secular and peaceful coexistence, unconditional and eternal love and dignity and celebration of life. These themes cut across the barriers of caste, creed and countries and strike a chord with people in India and abroad, reminding us that despite our differences, we are still all part of the human race whose values and virtues stand as one across the world.