The Essential Guide to Bollywood

by Subhash K. Jha

Choosing the best 200 Hindi movies since the 1940s, this book gives concise reviews of the films. The entries are arranged genre wise. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 8174363785
• ISBN13: 9788174363787
• Release Date: November 2005
• Publisher: Roli Books
• Length: 175 Pages
• Weight: 1.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 6.3" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

A personal choice of the best Bollywood movies 1940-2003

Subhash K. Jha is one of the most informed and read film critics of Hindi movies, and his work is easily accessible also on line. He shares, I believe, a long time friendship with Amitabh Bachchan who has written the foreword to this nice and useful booklet. Basically this lavishly illustrated guide to Bollywood movies from the 1940's to 2003 is divided into film categories such as drama, comedy, war drama, thrillers, romance, historical, action and parallel cinema. Each movie is a small card with a synopsis, detailed even if brief movie information, but expecially pleasing tidbits of gossip and crossreferences to other movies or contemporary Hindi culture. The real value of this book among the many Bollywood movie guides is the exceptional insight of the Author in the choice of the reviewed movies. Leafing through the text we have the impression that he is actually describing the movies he liked and that he deams important as having influenced modern Indian culture. Bollywood industry has the curious characteristic of making classifications in hits and flops, blockbusters, superhits and hits, etc, but even if these are mentioned at the end of the book, the choice of the 200 Hindi movies is not conditioned by this philosophy. Very useful if you want to learn something about this colorful and particular film world. I will definitely try to see all the mentioned movies!

The Bollywood Phenomenon!

`The Essential Guide To Bollywood' by Subhash K. Jha is a beautifully done compendium of what the author considers to be the 200 best Hindi films from the `40's to the present. It is a nicely produced book printed on thick, high quality paper and filled with wonderful photos of all your favorite Hindi stars. The films discussed in this 176 page paperback volume are divided into ten chapters along with a two page forward by Amitabh Bachchan and index. Contents; - Drama - Comedy - War Drama - Family Drama - Thrillers & Mysteries - Romance - Historical - Action - Parallel Cinema - Hits & Misses This book is not meant to serve as an in-depth study, no film included in the book gets more than one page of description and discussion. Actually most of the pages are divided in half in a two column format, one film per column. It is a fast read, but you'll come back to it again and again to enjoy the pictures and reread the short excerpts in nostalgic bliss. Whether you're an expert in Bollywood cinema or new to the Hindi experience you'll love it!

The Essential Guide to Bollywood

This book is definitely a must for all those who want the scoop on Bollywood! Well-written and informative. I wish I had bought it sooner. As a Bollywood writer, this is a reference book, which will be close by my writing desk. I give it 5 stars!