(March 13, 2025) It was a cold evening in Moscow, but inside the cinema hall, the energy was electric. The audience had been waiting for this moment for weeks. As the screen lit up with the dramatic fight scenes of RRR, cheers filled the air. This wasn’t just a movie for them. This was Indian Cinema – something they had loved for decades. And this wasn’t new.
Bollywood has been a part of Russian culture for over seventy years. It has survived wars, political changes, and the rise of Hollywood. But why? Why do Russians love Bollywood so much?
Even Russian President Vladimir Putin has acknowledged this unique bond. “If we look at BRICS member states, I think in this country, Indian films are the most popular. We have a special TV channel with Indian movies being shown on it round the clock. We have a lot of interest in Indian films. We hold the BRICS film festival. This year, the Moscow International Film Festival introduces films from BRICS nations. We are positive that if Indian films are interested, then we will find some common ground and promote them in Russia. I am ready to talk to the Prime Minister of India and we will come to terms. There will be no difficulty.”
It is not every day that a world leader talks about Bollywood like this. But Putin’s words simply confirm what Russians have known for years — Bollywood is special here.
When Raj Kapoor Became a Russian Superstar
This love story began in the early 1950s. The Soviet Union, still recovering from World War II, had a deep hunger for stories of survival, struggle, and hope. They found all of this in an Indian film called Awaara, which made its way to Russia in 1954.
Raj Kapoor
The film told the story of a young man, born into hardship, trying to find his place in the world. Raj Kapoor’s character — a charming vagabond — reminded Soviet audiences of Charlie Chaplin, another hero of the common man. But it wasn’t just his acting that touched them. It was his emotions. His struggle. His dreams.
The film’s theme song, Awaara Hoon, became an anthem across the Soviet Union. People sang it on the streets, played it in their homes, and hummed it at work. Kapoor had unknowingly become a part of Russian culture.
And then, something incredible happened.
When Raj Kapoor visited Moscow, the love that people had for him became real. Thousands of Russians mobbed him at the airport. As his car tried to move through the streets, fans lifted it onto their shoulders and carried him through Moscow, chanting his name. Kapoor later admitted that he had never seen anything like it—not even in India. The connection was sealed. Raj Kapoor was not just an Indian star anymore. He was Russia’s Raj Kapoor, a Global Indian.
His later films, Shree 420 and Mera Naam Joker, only deepened this love. Soviet leaders even used Bollywood as a cultural bridge between India and Russia. It wasn’t just about entertainment. It was about friendship.
For years, Soviet films followed strict government-approved themes, avoiding Western pop culture, which was seen as a threat. But Indian cinema found a way in, offering color, music, and emotion that Soviet audiences craved.
The Disco Revolution: Mithun Chakraborty Takes Over Russia
By the 1980s, Bollywood had changed. And so had Russia. The younger generation was no longer looking for sad, emotional films. They wanted something new. They wanted excitement. They wanted music. And then came Disco Dancer (1982).
It had everything — bright lights, electrifying music, and a hero who could dance like no one else. When Mithun Chakraborty took the stage in his white suit, moving to Jimmy Jimmy, Aaja Aaja, Russia exploded. Indian films were already popular—but no one could have guessed just how big this one would become. The film grossed 60 million Soviet rubles, equivalent to $75 million at the time, making it the biggest foreign hit in Soviet history, selling 120 million tickets there.
Young Russians copied Mithun’s dance moves. Nightclubs played Jimmy Jimmy on repeat. Mithun was suddenly as famous as Michael Jackson in the Soviet Union. Life behind the Iron Curtain was tough for the Russians, with constant shortages and restrictions. Disco Dancer, with its flashy costumes, energetic dances, and hopeful spirit, felt like a glimpse into a brighter, freer world.
Even Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev felt the impact of Indian cinema. During a visit to India, he told Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, “My daughter doesn’t care about Amitabh Bachchan. She only knows Mithun Chakraborty.”
Years later, Mithun’s son Namashi Chakraborty recalled a moment that proved just how legendary his father still was in Russia. “I was standing there, thinking I am the handsome hunk, and as soon as they saw my father, they screamed, ‘Jimmy! Jimmy! Jimmy!’ Even today, women in Russia want to marry my father,” he laughed.
Even Mithun himself once admitted, “I still don’t know why they love me so much. Maybe because I come from a poor house. Russia has always been a communist country. The pain and love of parents, all that counts in Russia.” And today, even after all these years, you can still hear Jimmy Jimmy playing in Russian nightclubs and weddings.
Mithun Chakraborty
Bollywood’s Comeback: From Shah Rukh Khan to RRR
By the 1990s, the Soviet Union had collapsed, and Hollywood had entered Russia in full force. For the first time, Bollywood wasn’t the biggest thing on Russian screens.
But Bollywood wasn’t ready to give up. Then came Shah Rukh Khan.
If Raj Kapoor was Russia’s Charlie Chaplin and Mithun was its John Travolta, Shah Rukh Khan became its ultimate romantic hero.
Films like Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham brought Bollywood back into Russian homes. Families gathered around their televisions to watch these films, and Russian girls fell in love with SRK’s signature open-armed pose.
When Shah Rukh Khan visited Moscow in 2017, thousands of fans stood in the cold just to see him. They had waited for hours, hoping for a glimpse of their hero. And then, in 2022, after Hollywood Studios made an exit from Russia, Bollywood was fully back on the big screen .
Unlike the romance of SRK’s era, this was Bollywood at its most powerful—action-packed, heroic, and larger than life. The film wasn’t just a box-office hit—it was a cultural moment. Russian audiences packed theatres, cheered at the high-octane action, and even recreated Naatu Naatu on social media.
It was a reminder that Bollywood and Russia were never truly apart.
Why Does Russia Love Bollywood?
Bollywood has remained special to Russia because it is more than just entertainment. It is emotion. It is family. It is a way of life.
Russian audiences love Bollywood because it tells stories that feel real—stories about struggle, love, family, and destiny.
Hollywood may impress them with action and special effects, but Bollywood makes them feel something deeper.
Even today, Russian television channels broadcast Indian films 24/7, Bollywood dance studios are growing in Moscow, and Indian Film Festivals in Russia are more popular than ever. Russian cinema itself has a history of deep, emotional narratives—classic Russian literature and Soviet-era films were filled with themes of fate, struggle, and undying love. Bollywood speaks the same language of emotions, making it feel familiar even though it comes from another country.
Beyond entertainment, Bollywood has also been a form of soft power, keeping India relevant in Russian culture for decades. Even in changing political times, Bollywood has remained a bridge between the two nations, creating a cultural friendship that goes beyond diplomacy.
Putin’s statement about supporting Bollywood’s presence in Russia is simply a reflection of the truth—this connection is strong, and it is here to stay.
From the streets of Moscow to the towns of Siberia, if you listen closely, you might still hear someone humming a familiar tune…
“Awaara hoon… Awaara hoon…”
And just like that, the love story between Bollywood and Russia continues.
- Read More Fascinating Stories
