<p>The three-day Bollywood show does not represent Indian culture, the Oscar-nominated filmmaker said here Tuesday.<br /><br />"Bollywood is not Indian culture, it's pop culture. There's a big difference," Mehta told the Canadian Press.<br /><br />To describe the IIFA Awards as representation of Indian culture is just like calling teen pop sensation Justin Bieber a representative of Canadian culture, the "Water" director said.<br /><br />Mehta, who herself was honoured at the 2007 IIFA Awards, said though she will attend the weekend ceremonies, she doubts whether the mega-show will enhance Bollywood's appeal in North America.<br /><br />She said North America can hardly add much to Bollywood's bottom line.<br />"It's hardly relevant. Of course there's a (North American) audience but it's a very limited audience. It's an audience that really is comprised of Southeast Asians," Mehta said.<br /><br />Since IIFA organizers have been taking the show to the world's major cities each year to popularise Bollywood on the global stage, she said, "They are there for a purpose - they galvanize a nation for a period of time into really thinking about popular culture and that's fun. It's good, IIFA is what it is, which is pure entertainment but I think it's sort of dicey when you start thinking of it as something serious."<br /><br />Wizcraft director Sabbas Joseph has described the Toronto IIFA Awards as "India's cinema's gateway to North America".<br /><br />Major theatres and venues across Toronto and its surrounding Indian-dominated cities of Mississauga, Brampton, and Markham have been screening Bollywood films and shows since June 17 before the three-day extravaganza that will culminate in IIFA Awards at the city's Rogers Centre June 25.</p>
<p>The three-day Bollywood show does not represent Indian culture, the Oscar-nominated filmmaker said here Tuesday.<br /><br />"Bollywood is not Indian culture, it's pop culture. There's a big difference," Mehta told the Canadian Press.<br /><br />To describe the IIFA Awards as representation of Indian culture is just like calling teen pop sensation Justin Bieber a representative of Canadian culture, the "Water" director said.<br /><br />Mehta, who herself was honoured at the 2007 IIFA Awards, said though she will attend the weekend ceremonies, she doubts whether the mega-show will enhance Bollywood's appeal in North America.<br /><br />She said North America can hardly add much to Bollywood's bottom line.<br />"It's hardly relevant. Of course there's a (North American) audience but it's a very limited audience. It's an audience that really is comprised of Southeast Asians," Mehta said.<br /><br />Since IIFA organizers have been taking the show to the world's major cities each year to popularise Bollywood on the global stage, she said, "They are there for a purpose - they galvanize a nation for a period of time into really thinking about popular culture and that's fun. It's good, IIFA is what it is, which is pure entertainment but I think it's sort of dicey when you start thinking of it as something serious."<br /><br />Wizcraft director Sabbas Joseph has described the Toronto IIFA Awards as "India's cinema's gateway to North America".<br /><br />Major theatres and venues across Toronto and its surrounding Indian-dominated cities of Mississauga, Brampton, and Markham have been screening Bollywood films and shows since June 17 before the three-day extravaganza that will culminate in IIFA Awards at the city's Rogers Centre June 25.</p>