As the author of Bollywood: A Guidebook to Popular Hindi Cinema and a professor of anthropology at New York University, Tejaswini Ganti proves her merit as both a film expert and subcontinental social commentator in Producing Bollywood, her latest examination of the workings of the Indian movie industry.
Originally conceived as her university dissertation in 1996, Ganti expands substantially upon her initial findings in a book that charts Bollywood's rise and development and provides a near-unparalleled view of the Mumbai film industry.
Featuring an impressive list of sources - including the acclaimed director Aditya Chopra as well as the Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan - Ganti's analysis discusses the filmmaker's dichotomy of "masses versus classes", in which directors, producers and distributors face the unending dilemma of siding with one of these groups, at the risk of either dismal box office returns or a narrow but commercial artistic vision.
Astute observations and diligent research distinguish Ganti's work, providing an insider's view into what is essentially a closed world and, in the process, adding deep perspective on an industry that has undergone a remarkable transformation.