LAGOS: Indian-Nigerian filmmaker Hamisha Daryani Ahuja has brought together two of the world’s largest film industries with her debut movie, Namaste Wahala. The title combines the Indian greeting “namaste” with the Pidgin word for trouble, “wahala”, reflecting the film’s blend of Indian and Nigerian cultural influences.
Read More: Netflix unveils packed January 2026 lineup
Released on Netflix during the COVID-19 pandemic, Namaste Wahala quickly became a global hit, signalling the start of collaboration between Bollywood and Nollywood. The romantic comedy follows an Indian investment banker who falls in love with a Nigerian lawyer, and the challenges their families face in accepting their union. Actors switch between English, Pidgin, and Hindi, giving the film a multilingual and cross-cultural appeal.
Ahuja, who was born in Mumbai and raised in Lagos, said she saw the potential for collaboration between the two industries. “Nollywood has grown up on Bollywood. How come they never come together?” she said. Shot entirely in Lagos, the film served as her informal schooling in filmmaking, as she had no formal training.
Since her debut, Ahuja has worked on a Netflix series called Postcards and is preparing to premiere Simi and Friends later this year. She also confirmed that another Namaste Wahala film is now in the works.
Read More: Top 25 globally trending movies & series on Netflix
Speaking about the cross-cultural connection, Ahuja said, “India and Nigeria combined are probably the world’s biggest diaspora… our culture is so loud,” highlighting the resonance of her work with audiences on both continents.