Awaara, Sholay, Deewar, Hum Apke Hain Koun..!, 3 Idiots. The success stories of these cult films are not only well known, but have also benchmarked a specific kind of cinema that exerts a far-reaching appeal. Often misunderstood to represent all Hindi cinema, Bollywood, as a distinct industry operating within Indian cinema, has not received due attention. Replete with its own set of motifs, plot devices, tropes, and even themes, much of what is produced shares not only a devoted audience, but also big budgets, stars, larger-than-life sets, and enormous revenues. In Bollywood, M.K. Raghavendra maps the dramatic journey of this popular, mainstream phenomenon. He dwells on the various departures from Western cinema and examines the characteristic traits specific to Bollywood, relating them to classical aesthetics, poetics, and dramaturgy. While also touching upon its various production and distribution practices, this short introduction explains the assorted roles it has played in suturing pan-Indian and national cinema before and after 1947, and anticipates its future as a sustained form of global entertainment.

About the Author
M.K. Raghavendra is an eminent film critic, researcher, and scholar. He received the Swarna Kamal for the Best Film Critic at the 1997 National Film Awards.


Book Information
ISBN 9780199469338
Author M.K Raghavendra
Format Paperback
Page Count 190
Imprint OUP India
Publisher OUP India
Weight(grams) 172g
Dimensions(mm) 183mm * 128mm * 14mm