Mumbai, Jan 15 (IANS) Japanese actress Harumi Shuhama is fond of Indian movies. She feels they have a better reach than Japanese films.

"Indian cinema is diverse. Be it comedy, thriller or love story, all kinds of films are being made in Indian cinema. Indian filmmakers know very well how to entertain their audience. They (Indian movies) have the power to reach out to anybody unlike in Japanese cinema," Shuhama told IANS in an e-mail interview.

The 44-year-old came to India last week for a Japanese Film Festival organised by PVR Cinemas and The Japan Foundation here. Her horror comedy film "One Cut of the Dead" opened the festival.

Happy about attending the Indian premiere of her film, Shuhama also spoke about the importance of international recognition for the films.

She said: "Nowadays, international premieres play a very important role... not only for the films but for the countries' growth too. They help in promoting cultural exchange and building better relations. 

"Through films, people get to expose different cultures, different languages and different people. So, it is very important for a film to cross the boundaries."

According to Shuhama, "it is very important to win prizes abroad as it becomes big news in Japan."