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Behind the Curtain does more than cheer the vital contributions of the unsung heroes on the floors of the recording studios. It also unveils the cultural and industrial idiosyncrasies of the Hindi film music world."--
TimeOut Mumbai"In
Behind the Curtain, Greg Booth presents a fascinating oral history of the Hindi film music industry, allowing the words of the performers themselves to be heard for the first time.
No student of Indian cinema, public culture or the history of film music can afford not to read this captivating study."--Rachel Dwyer, Professor of Indian Cultures and Cinema, SOAS, University of London
"The world of an average Indian is filled with Hindi film songs. But not much is known about the people and the processes behind the scenes. Greg Booth has opened several doors to the everyday world of Hindi film music. This is an important ethnographical work that benefits many Indian cinema scholars. Those who simply love film songs will also enjoy the book as it brings together stories of people, lives and musical passions."-- Gayatri Chatterjee, Film scholar and teacher, Film & Television Institute of India
"In this extensive oral history, Booth takes us behind the curtain of anonymity to meet the musicians of India's hugely popular films. Sensitively weaving together the recollections of musicians, Booth offers a rich, multifaceted and very human Bollywood history."--Paul D. Greene, Pennsylvania State University