Jun 7, 2007, 18:25 GMT
London - Bollywood's Shilpa Shetty and Amitabh Bachchan were among top stars launching a three-day festival celebrating Indian film in northern Britain Thursday.
The International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) festival, whose prestigious awards are regarded as India's equivalent of the Oscars, is to end with an award ceremony in Sheffield on June 9.
From Thursday, 22 classic Indian films, based on the theme of 'love at first sight,' plus three premieres, will be shown at the festival, staged across the county of Yorkshire, in northern Britain.
'It is a privilege to be in Yorkshire for this event,' Bachchan said at the opening ceremony in Leeds Thursday.
Referring to IIFA's first-ever festival at the Millennium Dome in London in 2000, Bachchan said: 'After seven glorious years, IIFA has returned to Britain.'
'From there till the IIFA weekend 2007 in Yorkshire, it has been a phenomenal journey. IIFA has been the front-runner in promoting Indian cinema and culture around the world,' he added.
Organizers hope to attract in excess of 25,000 visitors and boost the region's tourism coffers by 10 million pounds (19 million dollars).
Visitors are expected to come from Europe, India, South East Asia and the US.
It is also hoped that the IIFA awards, to be presented on Saturday, will contribute to strong trade relations between Yorkshire and India.
As the second largest market for Bollywood films, the whole of Britain is expected to benefit from resulting IIFA Awards merchandising, box office takings and DVD sales.
Events will feature top Indian business speakers, while the awards are expected to act as a catalyst to access a new market, the organizers said.
In addition to performances, events include a global business forum, a professionals workshop and a celebrity cricket match.
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