Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Bollywood Christmas for Bradford's Asian community

Bradford's Asian residents will have a special opportunity to hear the Christmas story on the radio.

Media charity HCJB Global has recorded a 25-minute slot entirely in Urdu explaining the biblical events that unfolded in Bethlehem at the time of Jesus' birth.

A Bollywood Christmas airs on Thursday at 7:10pm during the drive-time show on Sunrise FM and could reach up to 175,000 listeners.

Co-producer Nick Mangeolles admitted the project had been challenging but worthwhile.

"Many Asians are confused about what Christmas is all about having only seen the secular manifestations of the season, and have never had the opportunity to hear about the real Christmas before," he said.

“It has definitely been the hardest project I've worked on in my radio career. I spent many editing hours with a language I do not speak but the biblical passage was familiar, even if the language wasn't and I began to recognise the phrases as I went along. Our aim is to help dispel some of the myths about Christmas. At its heart, it isn't about over-indulgence, it's about the gift of God's son, Jesus Christ.”
 
The segment was scripted by Shely Ganguly and Chris Singh, of Radio Worldwide in Leeds.
Singh said: "It's a joy to be part of this production in Urdu, as this is the heart language of so many listeners in Bradford."