Getting prepared for one of South Africa�s most spectacular shows are: (from left) Anant Singh, CEO of Videovision, Pakistani bowling sensation Shoaib Akhtar, Indian screen legend Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt and Sudhir Prakjee after an �impressive� visit to the stage at the Absa stadium in Durban, years ago.
THE euphoric tours of South Africa in the 1990s featuring leading Bollywood stars have died out, and there are various reasons for this.
For decades, the cultural ties between India and South Africa were written in the language of cinema and music, extended to such live shows.
From the historic enclaves of Durban and Johannesburg to the sprawling cultural centres across the country, the arrival of a Bollywood live show was a monumental event. It meant glittering costumes, high-energy choreography, and the chance to see legendary actors step off the silver screen and into real life.
Today, however, those massive stage productions have all but vanished. To understand why South African arenas no longer echo with the sounds of playback singers and mega-stars, one must look back at a complex history of political isolation, soaring economic realities, and a shifting global entertainment landscape.
