Bollywood: Sociology Goes to the Movies

Why are people fascinated with Bollywood? What is the cultural significance of the films produced there? In recent years, Bollywood - the popular Hindi cinema from Mumbai (formerly Bombay), India, - has received massive international attention in the global media. "Bollywood" examines the reasons for this interest and provides an unrivalled guide to the phenomenon. "Bollywood": provides a comprehensive theoretical and empirical engagement with Bollywood cinema and its audiences; examines the role and representations of cultural icons in Bollywood films; pinpoints the key trends in the Bollywood film industry as it develops in the age of globalization; and subjects Bollywood to the first systematic sociological, cultural and media analysis. Packed with memorable examples and penetrating insights, this is a marvellous work which combines sociology with media and cultural analysis to provide a highly original account of the Bollywood phenomenon.