C ountries

C ountries India has maintained good relations with all the post- communist countries. But the strongest relations are still those between Russia and India. India’s relations with Russia are an important aspect of India’s foreign policy. Indo-Russian relations are embedded in a history of trust and common interests and are matched by popular perceptions. Indian heroes from Raj Kapoor to Amitabh Bachchan are household names in Russia and many post- Soviet countries. One can hear Hindi film songs all over the region, and India is part of the popular memory. Russia and India share a vision of a multipolar world order. What they mean by a multipolar world Seven years after the Soviet Union collapsed, the Uzbek passion for Indian films continues. Within months of the release of the latest film in India, pirate copies were already on sale in the Uzbek capi tal, Tashkent. Mohammed Sharif Pat ru ns a shop selling Indian films near one of Tashkent’s biggest markets. He is an Afghan who brings videos from the Pakistani frontier town Peshawar. “There are many people who love Indian films here. I’d say at least % of the people in Tashkent buy them. We sell about videos a day. I’ve just had to put in an order for a thousand more,” he says. “The Uzbeks are Central Asians, they are part of Asia. They have a common culture. That’s why they like In dian films.” Despite the s hared history, for many Indians living in Uzbekistan, the passion the Uzbeks have for their films and film stars has come as a bit of a surprise. “Wherever we go and meet local dignitaries - even ministers or cabinet ministers - during our conversation it is always mentioned,” says Ashok Shamer from the Indian embassy in Tashkent. “This shows that Indian films, culture, songs and especially Raj Kapoor have been household names here. Most of them can sing some Hindi songs, they may not know the meaning but their pronunciation is correct and they know the music,” he says. “I have found out that almost all my neighbours can sing and play Hindi songs. This was really a big surprise to me when I cam e to Uzbekistan.” A report by the BBC’s Central Asia Correspondent Louise Hidalgo