Hasselhoff goes Bollywood

“Baywatch” and “Knight Rider” may raise sniggers from highbrow critics at home, but they are still going strong in India -- so much so that David Hasselhoff, who starred in both TV series, was voted international star of the year at this year’s annual Bollywood Movie Awards.

The ceremony was held Saturday at the Taj Mahal Casino in Atlantic City as part of Bollywood’s bid to be considered a global force in cinema.

Hasselhoff was on hand to accept his award and to present the award for best director, which went to veteran Yash Chopra for “Veer-Zaara,” which also was honored as best film and for best actor for its star, Shahrukh Khan.

Hasselhoff said later he thought his TV series had much in common with the escapism of Bollywood films.

“I’m proud of shows like ‘Baywatch’ and ‘Knight Rider’ because it’s about saving lives, not taking lives,” he said in an interview. “It’s entertainment, it’s tongue in cheek, it brings the world together.”