The Indian film industry produces more films and grosses more in ticket sales per year than any other film industry in the world. While films of all genres are produced in India , the focus of this pathfinder is the lavish romantic musicals rooted in the industry of Mumbai, or Bollywood.

Top

This pathfinder is intended for any film enthusiast interested in learning about Bollywood films.

Top

ML2075.A – Indian film music.
PN1993.5 I – Indian film and industry history and criticism.
PN2887.M-Z – Biographies of Indian actors, directors etc.

Top

Motion pictures – India
Motion picture industry – India
Motion picture industry -- India -- History.
Motion pictures -- India -- History and criticism.
Motion pictures -- India – Catalogs
Motion pictures -- India -- Biography
Motion picture producers and directors – India
Motion picture actors and actresses – India
Motion picture music – India

Top

Encyclopaedia of Indian Cinema. Ashish Rajadhyaksha and Paul Willemen, eds. London: British Film Institute, 1999. PN1993.5.I8 R277 1999

Despite its age, this is an excellent quick-reference source. The encyclopedia is divided into two sections: a dictionary of actors and directors, and a dictionary of films.

Encyclopaedia of Hindi Cinema. New Delhi: Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2003. PN1993.5.I8 E539 2003

Presents a detailed history of Hindi cinema. The format resembles a textbook more than it does a traditional encyclopedia, but this resource is well-indexed and easy to navigate.

Film Index International. British Film Institute, 2003-2005. Via Proquest

This database is extremely searchable, and provides hundreds of articles on actors, directors, and films of Bollywood.

Top

Ganti, Tejaswini. Bollywood: A Guidebook to Popular Hindi Cinema. London: Routledge, 2004. PN1993.5.I8 G28 2004

This is an excellent guide to Bollywood films, and a great place for the true beginner to start.

Bollywood: Popular Indian Cinema. Lalit Mohan Joshi, ed. London: Dakini, 2001. PN1993.5.I4 B65 2001

Covers one hundred years of Bollywood cinema. Many important films, directors, and actors are discussed briefly.

Somaaya, Bhawana. Cinema: Images and Issues. New Delhi: Rupa & Co., 2004. PN1993.5.I4 S66 2004

This is a collection of ninety-six brief critical articles on important Bollywood films.

Raheja, Dinesh. Indian Cinema: the Bollywood Saga. London: Aurum Press, 2004. PN1993.5.I8 R32 2004

An excellent overview of Indian film movements. Includes plot summaries of major films.

Top

Kazmi, Nikhat. The Dream Merchants of Bollywood. New Delhi: UBS Publishers’ Distributors, 1998. PN1993.5.I8 K384 1998

Highlights character archetypes of Bollywood films and the actors who play them. Also includes profiles and criticism of major directors and their films.

Kabir, Nasreen. Bollywood: The Indian Cinema Story. London: Channel 4 Books, 2001. PN1993.5.I8 K335 2001

This source focuses primarily on characters, actors, directors, musicians, and dancers and choreographers in Indian films.

Top

Behind the Scenes of Hindi Cinema: A Visual Journey Through the Heart of Bollywood. John Manschot and Marijke de Vos, eds. Amsterdam: KIT, 2005. PN1993.5.I5 B44 2005

The articles in this book cover the inner-workings of Bollywood filmmaking and broad cultural issues related to the industry.

Gokulsing, K. Indian Popular Cinema: A Narrative of Cultural Change. Stoke on Trent: Trentham Books, 1998. PN1993.5.I8 G65 1998

Covers the impact of the industry on society, as well as industry history and technical developments.

Thoraval, Yves. The Cinemas of India. New Delhi: Macmillan India, 2000. PN1993.5.I8 T4913 2000

This provides a detailed history of Bollywood between 1896 and 2000. Also includes information, past and current, on Indian film industries outside of Mumbai.

Top

Bollywhat?

This website is essential for Bollywood fans who aren’t familiar with Indian culture. Includes recommended film lists, biographies, music information, etc.

Philip’s Filums

This site, by an Asian languages and literature professor at the University of Iowa, provides summaries and criticism for a number of important Bollywood films.

Apun Ka Choice

Movie news, celebrity gossip, music and more! Unfortunately, sites like these tend to be overrun with pop-ups, and this is no exception.

Top

Awara (1951)
Mother India (1957)
Mughal-E-Azam (1960)
Bobby (1973)
Umrao Jaan (1981)
Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988)
Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995)
Dil Se (1998)
Hum Dil de Chuke Sanam (1999)
Lagaan (2001)


Top