Lights Camera Masala : Making Movies in Mumbai

Contents: Introduction. 1. The spark. 2. The reality. 3. The game is afoot. 4. The shoot 1. 5. Objects of desire. 6. The shoot 2. 7. young Turks. 8. From pillar to post. 9. Brand Bollywood. 10. The people have spoken. Famous last words. Author\'s note. Acknowledgements. Photo credits.

"An insider\'s look at the glitz, grit and grandeur of Bollywood, the world\'s largest film industry.

Lights Camera Masala is a celebration of contemporary Hindi cinema - popularly known as Bollywood. The book documents the fascinating process of making a typical commercial Hindi film through the adventures of a pair of fictitious characters called Vijay and Ravi as they endeavor to make a Bollywood film of their own.

Famous film personalities-from seasoned scriptwriters such as the Salim-Javed duo, to celebrated actors such as Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai, and renowned directors like Ramesh Sippy and Karan Johar - all share their experiences and provide fresh insights into film-making. Lights Camera Masala also records the stories of the behind-the-scenes people who are such an intrinsic part of the Bollywood machinery- a light boy, a make-up artist and a choreographer, among others. Featuring the emergence of stars as brands and culminating with the glitzy IIFA awards, the book is a visual extravaganza.

Sheena Sippy\'s stunningly evocative photographs capture the grandeur, grit and madness that is Bollywood. Luxuriously packaged in an avant-garde design with over-the-top special features, including a fold-out poster and a star-search pinwheel, Lights Camera Masala is a rich tribute to the chaotic, entertaining world of Hindi cinema." (jacket)