The art of Bollywood

Hand-painted movie posters that made Bollywood a winner

Since its inception in the second decade of the 20th century, the Bombay-based Indian film industry&;Bollywood&;has developed a unique visual language, articulated by the vivid hand-painted movie posters that have since become highly-desirable collectors' items. While Bollywood poster artists produced a staggering number of these hand-painted images, their ephemeral work has traditionally been presented unevenly, with shoddy reprints and re-release posters. The Art of Bollywood digs deeper into the tradition, presenting the original art in its true glory&;from seldom-seen posters to rare images of street publicity and cinema displays. The text provides a detailed discussion of the works of key artists, in this comprehensive overview of a previously neglected and underrated artistic genre.

About the editor:
Paul Duncan has edited 50 film books for TASCHEN, including the award-winning The Ingmar Bergman Archives, and authored Alfred Hitchcock and Stanley Kubrick in the Film Series.

About the authors:
Edo Bouman is a researcher and collector of Indian film posters and Indian film music, and runs the Amsterdam-based record label Bombay Connection, which specializes in South Asian film scores and soundtracks.

Rajesh Devraj is a writer and filmmaker based in Mumbai, India. He has worked in advertising and television, and is the author of several screenplays.