Synopsis This book is meant for anybody with even a fleeting interest in Bollywood – the way it functions. The voluptuous aesthetic traditions it upholds. Its unique narrative style, the star system, how filmmakers, scriptwriters, actors, technicians and music directors work… Without getting into the technicalities of filmmaking. It takes the reader on a guided tour of the film sets and recording studies to reveal the various devices and means directors employ in casting their web of magic and make-believe on the masses. At the same time, the book provides a visual overview of the development of Bollywood cinema from its very birth, through the silent era to its transformation from black-and-white to colour and now, in its bold, vibrant and globalised dimensions. For every student of cinema, aspiring filmmaker, movie critic…in short, anybody who is curious about what goes into the making of a typical Bollywood film, this would serve as an invaluable guide and a ready reckoner.