By: Sima Malhotra

Whoever thought Indian cinema was just Bollywood must not be paying too much attention. After all, it seems as if every South Asian-themed film festival in the world is making an effort to steer clear of the Bollywood moniker and feature movies that are more representative of the Indian Diaspora.

Case in point, this week’s New Jersey Independent South Asian Cinefest at Rutgers University will attempt to showcase films beyond the scope of Bollywood.

“What we’re trying to do this year is show that Indian cinema has moved beyond just Bollywood,” film festival director and founder Sakti Sengupta told The New York Times last week. “There are a lot of good films being made elsewhere, in India and other parts of South Asia.”

Still, despite their efforts to expand from all corners of South Asian cinema, most of the films presented will be from India – though Bollywood only accounts for about 25% of all Indian cinema, according to recent industry reports.

Nonetheless, the lineup this weekend will also include films from Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Nepal, each movie being presented with English subtitles. In addition, the film fest will showcase the works of Sri Lankan filmmaker Prasanna Vithanage, many of which are socially conscious. Two of his films – Death on a Full Moon Day and Flowers of the Sky – will be among the 29 films, shorts and documentaries lined up at this weekend’s festival.

Sengupta added, in his New York Times interview, that the ode to Vithanage will be a big hit, especially because the films of his on display are about the Sri Lankan civil war and the plight of an aging actor forced to return to the stage.

“At the time of our preview, everyone in our organization was really excited after the Vithanage films,” the 58-year-old North Brunswick resident and information technology specialist told the Times. “They will both resonate with audiences.”

He added that about 5,000 movie fans are expected to attend the showcase of South Asian cinema, estimating about 75% of them hailing from Indian subcontinental ancestry, while the remaining 25% would be curious onlookers.

Staring this Friday, the New Jersey Independent South Asian Cinefest will run through October 11th, mostly at Rutgers.

For more information about scheduling and ticket prices, please visit the festival’s website.