“Would love to co-star with Shah Rukh Khan Or Aamir Khan,” enthuses Arab celeb-actress Randh Algosaibi at Saudi Film Nights star-studded event in collaboration with Dome Entertainment ­ by Chaitanya Padukone

“Marhaba” (meaning ‘hello-welcome’ in Arabic) was the warm-vocal-greeting that was overheard frequently last week-end. This was at the historic cultural development events, where the Saudi Film Commission, in collaboration with Dome Entertainment, unveiled Saudi Film Nights (film-festival) in India, drawing an overwhelming favourable response from cinephiles and industry iconic stalwarts at NFDC, Pedder Rd, South Mumbai, on January 31st and February 1st. The well-organized events by Dome Entertainment, marks Saudi Arabia’s steady growing presence in the global film landscape, proudly showcased a powerful lineup of select Saudi films, offering Indian audiences rare-revelation glimpses into the Arabian Kingdom’s evolving cinematic storytelling traditions.

Following successful screenings in Morocco, Australia, and China, Saudi Film Nights has now made its foray into India with a carefully curated selection of feature and short films. The screenings events and media-interactions smartly anchored by TV star model-compere Manasi Varma in the auditorium and in the lawns included "Mashnia’s Life" by Saad Tahaitah, "The Edge" by Ahmed Alqithmi, "Slave" by Mansour Assad, and "Fever Dream" by Faris Godus. Each reflecting the nuanced narratives and artistic evolution of Saudi cinema.

Conversing with me, exclusively, charming Arab star-actress Randh Algosaibi said, “ You know I love watching Hindi movies. Would love to co-star with Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, and Shahid Kapoor and my favourite heroine is Kareena Kapoor-Khan. There is so much similarity between Arabian culture, music, cuisine and Indian cultures. Some people here today even mistook me to be an ‘Indian’ . Honestly, I heartily love Indian culture, Hindi movies-songs and ethnic stuff. Maybe I should be expressing that ‘Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani’.Which is also the title of a Shah Rukh starrer-movie,” enthused Randh Algosaibi who has acted in a captivating, volatile yet emotional romantic Arabic short-film ‘The Edge’ which was highly appreciated.

Speaking on the occasion, dynamic duo Mohomed Morani and Mazhar Nadiadwala, Founders of Dome Entertainment, shared, "Bringing Saudi Film Nights to India is an incredible opportunity to introduce audiences to the depth and diversity of Saudi storytelling. This collaboration is not just about movie-screenings. It is also about creating exciting pathways for future Indo-Saudi cinematic partnerships that will push creative boundaries and elevate and amplify the global film landscape-horizons."

The glam-glitter-glitzy event was attended by a distinguished gathering of  eminent film personalities, diplomats, and cultural leaders, including Hon HE Suliman Eid Alotaibi, Consul General of Saudi Arabia, Saudi famous actors Sohayb Godus, actress Randh Algosaibi, Sara Hindi, Sara Turkiye, Hon HE Shirani Ariyarathne, acting Consul-General of Sri Lanka, Ajith Kumara, Member of Parliament from Sri Lanka, veteran iconic filmmaker Ramesh Sippy with wife noted actress Kiran Juneja, Mohomed Morani, Mazhar Nadiadwala, and Alim Morani of Dome Entertainment, Lucky Morani, Zhenya Nadiadwala, international musician and Grammy jury member Anupam Shobhakar, veteran actor Anant Jog, film-maker Suneel Darshan, movie-director Dharmesh Darshan, Raayo Bakhirta, Ankit Tamang, Pooja Tamang, singer Mihir Joshi, producer Saibal Banerjee, Sanket Vanzara, Malti Jain, Insiya Dariwala, Lalita Goenka, Jeet Matharu, British actress-singer model Zara Khan (daughter of iconic Salma Agha),  actress-model Rupali Suri, illustrious senior film critic-movie-analyst-FM radio-show host author Bhawana Somaaya, actress Menaka Rai, director Fahad Samji, Jaspinder Narula, jewellery designer Poonam Soni, actor Arjun Bijlani, singer Shibani Kashyap, actress Georgia Andriani, actors Dillzan Wadia and actress Dhriti Saharan, singer- actress Liza Malik, veteran eminent film-journalists and senior film critic-author  Chaitanya Padukone,  Siraj Sayyed, , Canadian NRI actress-model Simran Kapoor, Rajiv Roda, entrepreneur Khushroo Kekobad, producer Nitish Shah among many others.

Saudi Film Nights in India follows the Saudi Film Commission’s previous participation at Film Bazaar Goa 2023, where it hosted the session "Saudi Films in Production" and showcased the Kingdom’s latest developments in cinema. The Saudi Film Commission, a key entity under the Saudi Ministry of Culture, is dedicated to expanding the country’s film industry, supporting Saudi filmmakers, and positioning Saudi cinema on the global stage.

Saudi Film Nights will now showcase in Delhi and Hyderabad, continuing its journey of cultural and cinematic exchange with packed audiences eager to experience the finest in Saudi storytelling. Following an overwhelming response in Mumbai, where cinephiles and industry stalwarts gathered at NFDC to witness a stellar lineup of Saudi films, the initiative moves forward to captivate audiences in India's capital and the tech hub of Hyderabad.