In awe of Indian cinema? These 5 books are for you

The Indian film industry, which is composed of various language film industries, has been ranked first in the world in terms of annual film output for a number of years. In terms of box office, it ranked third in 2019, with a total gross of around USD 2.7 billion. As of 2020, the combined revenue of all other language film industries surpassed that of the Hindi film industry, and in 2021, Telugu cinema became the largest film industry in India in terms of box-office. If you are someone who is in awe of Indian cinema, here are 5 books you should read.

This classic book reviews the history of motion pictures in India and examines how they reflect schisms in society, artistic traditions, and the influence of an ancient culture. It covers the history of film production in India from its beginnings, several decades ago. Its portrait of the forces that have molded the Indian film, and especially of particular differences such as language barriers, a virulent star system, a fragmented and undercapitalized entrepreneurial class, and extremely strict censorship is clear.

Pic credit: Oxford University Press

Although Indian popular cinema has a long history and is familiar to audiences around the world, it has rarely been systematically studied. This book offers the first detailed account of the popular film as it has grown and changed during the tumultuous decades of Indian nationhood. The study focuses on the cinema’s characteristic forms, its range of meanings and pleasures, and, above all, its ideological construction of Indian national identity.

Pic credit: University of Texas Press

Mary Ann Evans, also known by her stage name Fearless Nadia, was an Australian-born Indian actress and stuntwoman, who worked in Indian cinema. She is most remembered as the masked, cloaked adventurer in 'Hunterwali', released in 1935, which was one of the earliest female-lead Indian films. In this biography of Hindi cinema’s ‘original stunt queen’, German film-maker and curator for the Berlin International Film Festival, Dorothee Wenner sets out to explore the life and times of this fascinating actress.

Pic credit: Penguin

In this book, Mishra argues that Indian film production and reception are shaped by the desire for a national community and a pan-Indian popular culture. Seeking to understand Bollywood according to its own narrative and aesthetic principles and in relation to the global film industry, he views Indian cinema through the dual methodologies of postcolonial studies and film theory.

Pic credit: Routledge

Covering the full range of Indian cinema, from Hindi musicals to the impressive diversity of regional Indian art cinemas, this book includes expanded coverage of mainstream productions from the 1970s to the 1990s.

Pic credit: Routledge