Indian-Nigerian filmmaker, Hamisha Daryani Ahuja has successfully brought together the world’s two largest film industries, Bollywood and Nollywood, with her debut movie, Namaste Wahala.
The film, whose title translates to “Hello Trouble,” tells the story of an Indian investment banker who falls in love with a Nigerian lawyer, and the challenges their families face in accepting their union.
Shot in Lagos, the romantic comedy blends English, Pidgin, and Hindi, reflecting both cultures.
“Nollywood has grown up on Bollywood. How come they never come together?” Ahuja said in an interview, highlighting the long-standing cultural connection between the two countries.
Released on Netflix during the COVID-19 pandemic, the movie became a global hit and drew attention from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who mentioned it during his 2024 visit to Nigeria. A sequel is already in the works, Ahuja revealed.
Since her 2020 debut, Ahuja has also produced the Netflix series Postcards and is preparing the animated feature Simi and Friends, which follows a young girl with an Indian mother and Nigerian father and incorporates both nations’ cultural elements.
Ahuja, who has no formal film training, described Namaste Wahala as her “schooling in film.”
She said the similarities between Nigerian and Indian cultures—family traditions, values and shared love of storytelling made the cross-cultural collaboration possible.
Her upcoming projects will feature Afrobeats, one of Nigeria’s most influential cultural exports.
