Netflix movie Namaste Wahala is an Indian-Nigerian cross-cultural love story that turns differences into comedy
- Set in Nigeria, Namaste Wahala tells the love story of Didi, a local woman, and Raj, from India, who have to deal with family misunderstandings and criticism
- The movie is also a merging of two billion-dollar film industries from separate continents: Nollywood and Bollywood
As far as romcoms go, Namaste Wahala has the typical elements: boy meets girl, they fall in love, they face a test of their devotion and then everything works out in the end.
But Namaste Wahala is also a love story between two billion-dollar film industries from separate continents: Nollywood and Bollywood.
“I grew up in an Indian family in Nigeria. I am in the perfect position to tell this story of these two cultures,” says Hamisha Daryani Ahuja, who wrote, produced and directed the film.
Namaste Wahala tells the love story of Didi, a woman from Nigeria, and Raj, from India. When their families find out, the pair, played by Ini Dima Okojie and Ruslaan Mumtaz, is forced to deal with misunderstandings, cultural differences and critical soon-to-be in-laws.
“In the film, there is a lot of magic, romance and cheese but also many real topics we touch on. There are deep-rooted issues that do come up,” Ahuja says.
But it’s not all serious: the Netflix release takes a humorous, celebratory look at the cultures of India and Nigeria – and reveals many common preferences and traditions, not least for fancy weddings.