One day in London in August 2002, among the many emails received at work, there was an email from Charles Tabesh, Head of Programming at Turner Classic Movies who had written to me on the recommendation of an American journalist, David Chute. Charles Tabesh asked whether I could provide a list of films for an eventual Indian film season on TCM to be broadcast some time in 2003. I was absolutely delighted that an American television channel was at last interested in giving space to Indian popular cinema and the gray London day seemed suddenly quite cheerful.

Several months later and after months of co-ordinaton between three cities, Atlanta, London and Mumbai, twelve films were hand-picked, subtitled and delivered. Having made dozens of television programmes on Hindi films and programmed, for over 15 years, the annual 20 part film season on UK's Channel 4 Television, my thinking behind the TCM selection was to show a fine balance between films that will appeal to people who have grown up watching them, and yet interest others who may never have seen an Indian popular film. So clearly choosing classic films that have stood the test of time was the best way forward.

This TCM selection has current and classic movies. No matter where viewers come from, they cannot but be moved by the plight of the virtuous Nargis in Mother India or share the anguish of an artist like Guru Dutt in Pyaasa. The films are fine examples of a unique film industry with engaging drama, heightened emotions, the telling of grand themes and storylines, marvellous performances, excellent film craft and brilliant use of song and dance. They are full of emotion and energy like old Hollywood films. These marvellous movies have been made by the leading Indian film directors whose talent is evident. Bollywood fans where ever they live have a close connection to their cinema and are used to finding almost any Indian film of their choice and anywhere in the world - either in the theatre, on satellite television or on video or DVD or VCD - yet mainstream television channels in Western countries have largely ignored this vast world of entertainment until now.

For viewers familiar with the films in the season will be undoubtedly delighted to see again these wonderful classics. I envy viewers who will experience for the first time the emotion and the power of Indian films. Indian cinema has much to offer and TCM's season will prove this by showing what is best in Bollywood.

by Nasreen Munni Kabir

Nasreen Munni Kabir is a documentary filmmaker who has made several series for Channel 4 on Hindi cinema including "Movie Mahal," "Follow that Star," "Lata in her own Voice," "How to make it Big in Bollywood and How to make a Bollywood Movie." In 2002, she produced and directed a documentary on the making of Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Bombay Dreams" for the Omnibus strand on BBC1. In the same year she also made a profile on Bismillah Khan entitled Bismillah of Benaras for BBC4. Considered an authority on Indian film, Bollywood, the Indian cinema Story is Nasreen's third book, published by Channel 4 Books and PanMacmillan. She has also written Guru Dutt, a life in Cinema published by Oxford University Press India in 1996 and Talking Films, Conversations on Hindi cinema with Javed Akhtar, also published by Oxford University Press in 1999. She was born in India and has lived most of her life in France and the UK. She continues to programme Channel 4's annual film seasons and is currently working on their 2003 season of 20 films, Bollywood Celebs. This season includes 20 five minutes introductions to the films presented by Bollywood's Alist of stars and directors. She won the first Asian Women Achievement award in 1999 for her promotion of Indian cinema in the UK and is currently serving for a second terms as a governor on the British Film Institute board.