Beyond the Boundaries of Bollywood: The Many Forms of Hindi Cinema

by Rachel Dwyer (editor), Jerry Pinto (Editor)

Surveying the field since the mid-1990s, this book looks at Hindi cinema which lies beyond Bollywood. While the first part includes seven essays by established scholars and film critics, in the second part we have a series of interviews of individuals connected with the film industry in India.
Looking at the many meanings of "Bollywood," the essays bring together themes and ideas which are essential to understanding the history of Indian cinema. They deal with Hindi cinema that predates Bollywood, as well as cinema which is made once Bollywood emerges and the culture which stretches beyond cinema. Interesting light is shed on cinema in Bombay in the 1920s, the transition to sound in Bombay cinema, and horror films Conducted by Jerry Pinto, the interviews bring to life the changing world of the contemporary Hindi cinema that is developing its own niche, ranging from separate production wings of major companies, to its own directors, stars, and distribution circuits. They bring out strategies, ideas, and reflections on the current situation from key figures who lie at the heart of these from the revolution in DVD pricing and the effect on filmmaking to the development of "hatke" cinema and the role of film festivals in the shaping of popular culture.

320 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2011

About the author

Rachel Dwyer is Professor of Indian Cultures and Cinema at SOAS, University of London. She took her BA in Sanskrit at SOAS, followed by an MPhil in General Linguistics and Comparative Philology at the University of Oxford. She teaches undergraduate and postgraduate courses in cinema and supervises PhD research on Indian cinema.

Reviews

[Jitendra Kotai · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Interviews featured in this book are great. I especially enjoyed the early interview of Anuraag Kashyap. They uncover the different kinds of cinema Hindi film Industry has to offer. Enjoyable read.