Mumin Chen, Taiwan’s representative to India and an ardent Indian movie buff, hoped that, for the future of Taiwan-India cinematic ties, Bollywood’s biggest stars, such as Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan, would visit the island.
“The most famous Indian movie stars, like Shah Rukh Khan and Amitabh Bachchan, have never been to Taiwan,” Chen told PTI on the sidelines of the ongoing Taiwan Film Festival at Triveni Kala Sangam. “They have fans in Taiwan, and if there is any opportunity for them to come to Taiwan, it will make big news.”
Chen also expressed hope that Taiwanese and Indian stars would collaborate and that Indian filmmakers would shoot movies in Taiwan, which offers both beautiful landscapes and modern cities.
Who is Mumin Chen?
Mumin Chen serves as Taiwan’s de facto ambassador to India. He also heads the Taipei Economic and Cultural Centre in India.
However, beyond his current diplomatic mantle, he is a political science professor by profession. This academic and professional background, he said, provides him with a unique lens through which he views and appreciates regional cinema.
Mumin Chen’s favourite Bollywood movie
Mumin Chen told PTI that picking a Bollywood movie from the many he has watched – and continues to watch more every week – would be difficult.
However, he said Ranveer Singh’s Dhurandhar was the most impressive Indian film he watched last year.
“I watch a lot of political movies,” Chen told ANI, while sharing his political science background. “So last year, the most impressive one I saw was Dhurandhar.”
Why is Aamir Khan on Chen’s list of favourites?
Mumin Chen expressed a deep appreciation for Bollywood’s leading talents, particularly Aamir Khan. He praised Aamir for leveraging his platform to tackle complex, real-world challenges.
“I think Aamir Khan is very impressive,” Chen told ANI. “Because I have been watching his films when he was young, and he produces some very good movies about Indian society and some very critical issues.”
He was quick to add that his admiration extends to other mainstream icons as well, stating, “And of course, other bigger movie icons like Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan, I also love them.”
Showcasing Taiwan through cinema
The 2026 Taiwan Film Festival—held in New Delhi from October 24 to 25 before moving to Mumbai for the first time on October 31—is showcasing six films this year, including award-winning titles such as Dear Tenant and Alifu.
Chen said the broader aim of the festival was to give Indian audiences a glimpse of “what is inside the Taiwanese people’s heart”.
He watched Hero! Hito!—a documentary chronicling Taiwan’s national baseball team’s journey to winning a world championship— at a hall packed with Taiwanese and Indian audiences.
“The good thing is that even if you are not a sports fan, even if you don’t know about baseball, you can watch this movie and feel that Taiwanese people really like their national sport and national team,” Chen said about the movie. “And this is the spirit of Taiwan that I think we want to bring to audiences in India: to know more about Taiwan and what is inside the Taiwanese people’s heart.”