Routledge Handbook of Indian Cinemas - Tapa dura

"The fresh approaches of this landmark text will no doubt serve to open up new ways of understanding this most prolific of film-producing countries." - Shamira A. Meghani, Asian Affairs

"This terrific volume of scholarly work edited by Gokulsing and Dissanayake arrives suitably to coincide with the centenary of Indian cinema. Divided into five distinct areas [...] the essays represent some of the finest contemporary discoure on Indian cinema."- Omar Ahmed, South Asian Popular Culture

India is the largest film producing country in the world and its output has a global reach. After years of marginalisation by academics in the Western world, Indian cinemas have moved from the periphery to the centre of the world cinema in a comparatively short space of time. Bringing together contributions from leading scholars in the field, this Handbook looks at the complex reasons for this remarkable journey.

Combining a historical and thematic approach, the Handbook discusses how Indian cinemas need to be understood in their historical unfolding as well as their complex relationships to social, economic, cultural, political, ideological, aesthetic, technical and institutional discourses. The thematic section provides an up-to-date critical narrative on diverse topics such as audience, censorship, film distribution, film industry, diaspora, sexuality, film music and nationalism.

The Handbook provides a comprehensive and cutting edge survey of Indian cinemas, discussing Popular, Parallel/New Wave and Regional cinemas as well as the spectacular rise of Bollywood. It is an invaluable resource for students and academics of South Asian Studies, Film Studies and Cultural Studies.