DURBAN: Aamir Khan starrer Bollywood block-buster Lagaan, is playing to packed audiences in South Africa, not just attracting people of Indian-Origin but also others.

"People across the board are visiting our cinemas to watch the movie", said Simphiwe Tshabalala, spokesperson for Ster-Kinekor chain of cinemas in the country, adding "even though our marketing drive has been Indian-focused".
This is the first time in South Africa that a large number of people of non-Indian origin are visiting the cinemas to watch an Indian movie.

The interest follows the recent staging of the Indian movie artiste awards at Sun City where attempts were made to promote Indian movies among audiences outside the Indian diaspora. Since the movie opened at theatres in Durban, Pretoria, Johannesburg and Cape Town four weeks ago it has grossed over a million rand in revenue. Tshabalala said that the movie was showing at seven cinemas across the country and reached its highest position at number six in the opening week before firmly entrenching at number nine on the charts.

Shafee Ali, a manager at one of the cinemas in Durban, said he was selling 90 per cent of his tickets adding "it's truly a great movie, especially considering that it is competing with big-budget movies such as Lara Croft and Shrek".