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Nollywood meets Bollywood in love tale Namaste Wahala

Nollywood meets Bollywood in love tale Namaste Wahala

Film telling the story of a Nigerian woman and Indian man falling in love premieres on Netflix on Valentines Day.
13 Feb, 2021

Indian-Nigerian restaurant owner Hamisha Daryani Ahuja gave up her long-running business to pursue her dream of making movies.

Two years later, the 36-year-old will see her first feature film, the cross-cultural love story Namaste Wahala, debut on Valentine’s Day on Netflix.

The film, whose title translates in Hindi and Nigerian pidgin as ‘Hello trouble’, tells the tale of a Nigerian woman who falls in love with an Indian investment banker living in Lagos. The young couple face a series of challenges - including their families - to be together.

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“I wanted to do something that will be more relatable so it is a full-on Nollywood movie, but I brought in some Indian actors to make it a little bit more fun,” Daryani Ahuja, who directed, executive produced and acted in the movie, told Reuters.

“What I tried to do is the ‘90s style Bollywood ... the singing and dancing around trees. We have all of that. It is a very cheesy, mushy romantic drama.”

Born of Indian parents, Daryani Ahuja has lived most of her life in Nigeria.

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“I have lived in an Indian house, I know the Nigerian culture, the pidgin, the food and it is so interesting how even though everybody thinks with Namaste Wahala the cultures are different, we are actually so similar,” she said.

“We are actually all one, and that’s the whole theme of the movie.”

The 110-minute film stars Indian actor Ruslaan Mumtaz and Nigerian actress Ini Dima-Okojie in the lead roles.

“It is very important to make films like this when you show cross-cultural love stories, because in every country ... people just separate each other as far as religion is concerned,” Mumtaz said. “Especially in India, you can’t marry somebody if they are from a different religion or from a different caste.”

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Mainly shot in English, the movie had a production team of more than 60 people across India and Nigeria. Production was completed before lockdowns made making movies difficult; the original release date was April.

“The thing I love the most are the underlying messages which is the beauty in embracing your similarities, the beauty in embracing love even if you are from different backgrounds,” Dima-Okojie said.

Putting out hundreds of movies and television episodes a month, Nollywood is the world’s second most prolific film industry after India’s Bollywood.

Nigeria has a growing base of Bollywood fans, who watch its sitcoms subtitled in English, and Namaste Wahala is creating a buzz online.

Daryani Ahuja says she hopes to make a sequel in the coming months.

Comments

FASTag Feb 13, 2021 11:19am
Love beyond borders.
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Malik Feb 13, 2021 11:53am
Two of world’s Largest and useless film industry.
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Zak Feb 13, 2021 11:59am
Poor story line. Nigerians are proud people and they never marry beneath them.
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Popat rangeela Feb 13, 2021 12:15pm
Malik & Zak One word sour grapes
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Abdul Baqi Feb 13, 2021 12:25pm
Very funny of Ruslaan Mumtaz to say that in India you can't marry a person of different religion, when he is married to Nirali Mehta, His mother Anjana Manjarekar also married outside of her religion to Sajid Mumtaz.
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Imran khan (Mardan ) Feb 13, 2021 12:36pm
Indians and Nigerians pretty much look the same, they should merge Bollywood into nollywood
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Niraj Feb 13, 2021 12:59pm
@Zak so is mia Khalifa but we don't see her yapping about it.
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JustSaying Feb 13, 2021 01:19pm
@Malik " Two of world’s Largest and useless film industry.... " Yes ... That's why Pakistani cinema owners are begging the Government to start showing hindi movies.. or else they'll have to shut cinema halls.. And yes Pakistans film industry is in the League of Hollywood.... Ok.. be happy...
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k k tiwari Feb 13, 2021 01:26pm
@Malik Yours is respected all over world ??
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JustSaying Feb 13, 2021 01:36pm
@Malik " Two of world’s Largest and useless film industry.... " Yes your Standards are of the Type of Hollywood....
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Sid Feb 13, 2021 01:52pm
Trying to play it safe with the boy being Indian.., had it been the other way round the film would have not made it past the Indian censors...
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Alishba Feb 13, 2021 01:52pm
@Zak Grapes are sour
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Alishba Feb 13, 2021 01:52pm
@Malik This article aint about Lollywood.
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Gary Feb 13, 2021 01:52pm
@Malik Is that the reason why you have closed down your film industry?
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JustSaying Feb 13, 2021 02:11pm
@Malik " Two of world’s Largest and useless film industry...." I Understand..... Sour Grapes.... ( Much Jealous.... ?? Indians Shining Everywhere in Every Field...)
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Sach baat Feb 13, 2021 02:42pm
@Malik And so says a nation whose films win Oscars after Oscars.
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krishna chaitanya Feb 13, 2021 02:44pm
@Zak it's about Nigerian marrying Indian not Pakistanis!
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Cye Feb 13, 2021 03:23pm
@Malik well said bro. Specially Bollywood. It’s a waste of time to watch their movies.
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Cye Feb 13, 2021 03:24pm
@Popat rangeela Bollywood have to make multiple no. Of movies in a year. Even if they are garbage and make no sense.
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Baasha Feb 13, 2021 04:47pm
@Zak c'mon. He is a muslim. How can he be beneath
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Mann Singh Feb 13, 2021 04:48pm
@Zak absolutely that is what we said when Sania married the no name cricket player.
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Rami Feb 13, 2021 05:31pm
Stereotypes !
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Gopinath Feb 13, 2021 06:06pm
@Malik Pakistanis, entertainments starved, cannot survive without watching Bollywood.
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RationalBabu Feb 13, 2021 06:18pm
@Cye wasting your time watching the wrong ones you have obviously missed some superb productions. One has to pick and choose! Same with everything including Pakistani productions.
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JustSaying Feb 13, 2021 06:27pm
@Cye " well said bro. Specially Bollywood. It’s a waste of time to watch their movies.... " Please don't Watch... Doesn't make any Difference.... You are Irrelevant.. ( you must have better things to do... Please carry on...)
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JustSaying Feb 13, 2021 06:29pm
@Imran khan (Mardan ) " Indians and Nigerians pretty much look the same, they should merge Bollywood into nollywood.... " Just like Before you used to Resemble Arabs.. Now Turkish... ( in Future Chinese...???)
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ABCD Feb 13, 2021 07:10pm
It is really good to see Nollywood and Bollywood are producing together. Both industries should always avoid hopeless Pakistani actors and artists.
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Md Feb 13, 2021 07:55pm
Pak artist dyeing in hunger
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Observer Feb 14, 2021 01:44am
People of Indus Valley are Indians even if their country is called Pakistan,
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sid Feb 14, 2021 01:57am
The actress is incredibly beautiful.
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MG Feb 14, 2021 03:40am
She is beautiful
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Kevin Feb 14, 2021 05:24am
Some of the comments here are reeking of racism. The actor is a proud Indian and many here may find that hard to ‘digest’. Live with it!
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Just Saying Feb 14, 2021 06:59am
@Malik @zak Why this venom and animosity? Pakistani and Indians are like brothers and you ll believe it when you are out there in strange land alone and an Indian passes by or vic versa. Indian film industry is huge and very good step that it has come up with Nigerian theme. As long as it is not against Pakistan why does it matter? Be happy for Indian brothers and they ll be happy for us. Stop comparing!
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riz1 Feb 14, 2021 07:07am
@Zak "Nigerians are proud people and they never marry beneath them" Good one Zak. Keep it up. It's clear to everyone who is beneath who.
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ram Feb 14, 2021 07:18am
@Zak You seems to know every thing, please read fully , Girl fell love with INDIAN investment banker living in Lagos, Not Pakistani
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Abs Feb 14, 2021 11:58am
@Popat rangeela that's two words!! Just saying.
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Abs Feb 14, 2021 12:02pm
@Just Saying there are loosers on both sides of the border, I have stopped paying attention to hate spread by minority.
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Paul Vannacore Feb 14, 2021 02:51pm
@Zak good on them , Indian do the same
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Cye Feb 15, 2021 03:29pm
@JustSaying Trust me I haven’t watched a Bollywood movie for years. I am watching Pakistani dramas and having a good time
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