Encyclopaedia of Hindi Cinema
Published in Hardback (17 March 2003)
By Encyclopaedia Britannica Inc.
Editorial Board: Gulzar, Govind Nihalani, Saibal Chatterjee.
ISBN 81 7991 066 0
659 pages
Guide Price: £49.99
Rating: (4 flames)
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A thoroughly delightful, vivid compendium about Indian Cinema that every self-respecting Indian bookshelf should have! With over 650 pages bursting with glorious pictures and nuggets of information about Bollywood, this authoritative book about the film industry will have you "armed and ready" to answer all filmi questions on "Kaun Banega Crorepati" (Indian 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire'). My only gripe (and it's a minor one) is that the film index doesn't list a page number to help you pinpoint the movie. But no Bollywood fan should be without this guide and everyone with a passing interest in Hindi cinema should get hold of a copy immediately. I cannot see how anyone can top Encyclopaedia Britannica's homage to Hindi Cinema. This is truly the "Mother India" of all Hindi Cinema books!

INTRODUCTION TO THE ENCLYCOPAEDIA OF HINDI CINEMA

The excitement of cinema is the pulse of the Indian nation. There is nothing quite like it in the world. Encyclopaedia Britannica's 'Encyclopaedia of Hindi Cinema' looks as much at the trends and techniques of filmmaking in Mumbai as at the personalities who shaped the industry into what it is today.

This encyclopaedia seeks to capture the big picture in a manner that is both informative and entertaining. It gives a perspective on the fascinating journey of Hindi Cinema from the turn of the last century when this industry took its first unsteady steps of infancy, to becoming a leader in the world of celluloid. The book brings together an array of experts, who have either have first-hand knowledge of the craft of filmmaking or have observed the industry from close quarters for decades.

With that end in mind, this encyclopaedia focuses as much on the stars and directors as it does on films and movements. The book is rounded off with a comprehensive section that throws light on the towering individuals whose contributions to Hindi cinema in their respective areas of specialisation have been second to none. One unique section of the encyclopaedia, Milestones, is devoted entirely to interviews with legendary Hindi film personalities. The interview with Ashok Kumar was completed a few weeks before the demise of this respected actor.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Produced under the editorial guidance of Gulzar, Govind Nihalani and Saibal Chatterjee.
• Thirty-four essays written by an array of experts who provide insights into various aspects of the industry's internal dynamics.
• Twenty-one milestones that bring interviews with those legendary personalities who have influenced that dynamics of the industry.
• Two hundred biographies that provide informative snapshots of leading film personalities and their important films.
• Over 500 photographs, 300 in colour.

SYNOPSIS

This is not "yet another book on Hindi Cinema". This book presents the dynamics of the Hindi film industry with a detailed and analytical point of view. From the turn of the last century when this industry took its first unsteady steps of infancy to becoming a world leader in the world of celluloid, Encyclopaedia Britannica is presenting a new perspective.

The book is divided into six sections:

SECTION 1: Historical Record - An objective study of the growth and development of the industry over the decades. The medium of cinema changed its nuances and perceptions as the nation transited through British rule, freedom, struggle, the impact of the World Wars, Independence, post-Independence Utopia, nationalist fervour and frustration, and experience the growing pains of the nation.

SECTION 2: The Business and Its Future - the oil that turns the wheels of this industry. Without a study of the economics there can be no objective perspective.

SECTION 3: Narrative forms - various articles that present the various forms that are the vital sections of a film project such as cinematography, sound, special effects, choreography and song picturisation, stunts and action, flashback, art direction and costumes.

SECTION 4: Analysis of the Medium. Here the genres are analysed further. Music, lyrics, scripts and screenplays, comedy, stereotypes, good versus evil, women, censorship, the influence of literature and the influence of other cinemas.

SECTION 5: Milestones - interviews with and profiles of twenty-one legendary personalities who have influenced the dynamics of the industry.

SECTION 6: Biographies - informative snapshots of leading personalities with selected filmographies.

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