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.

Contents: Introduction: The Hindi film and its significance. 1. The historical trajectory of the Hindi film narrative. 2. The grammar and aesthetics of popular Hindi cinema. 3. The production and distribution of Hindi films. 4. Global Bollywood. Bibliography. Index.