'Behind the Scenes of Hindi Cinema' is a journey through the inside world of India's best known film industry, that of Mumbai (Bombay), now nicknamed Bollywood. It is about the essence of Hindi commercial cinema. The various aspects of Hindi cinema come to life in this richly illustrated book: publicity campaigns using mainly songs and songbooks to advertise films, a discussion about the power of the Board of Censors, spiritual ceremonies like the muhurat and the veneration of gods and parents. What is the role of the Board of Censors? Who are the main protagonists and how do they relate to the age-old myths?

If Bollywood is escapist, what does it escape? What is the difference between Hindi film and its big brother in the south, Tamil film, bound by its vast production to a mainly local south Indian audience? The book focuses on the contributions of songwriters and lyricists to the films, on their themes of family life, love, marriage, and adversity; and also reveals the love and passion of the many men and women working behind the scenes. The genre's appeal, not only in India itself, but also elsewhere in Asia, the former Soviet Union, the Middle East, and Africa is examined in depth.

The book is an introduction to the world's largest film industry as well as a source of new information replete with vibrant images that will appeal to all Bollywood aficionados.

The Contributors: Deepa Gahlot, Fareeda Mehta, P.K. Nair, Soudhamini, Gayatri Chatterjee, Sudha Rajagopalan, Nasreen Munni Kabir, Amitabh Bachchan, Brahmanans Singh.

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