Bollywood and Postmodernism Popular Indian Cinema in the 21st Century

'New Bollywood' has arrived, but its postmodern impulse often leaves film scholars reluctant to theorise its aesthetics. How do we define the style of a contemporary Bollywood film? Are Bollywood films just uninspired Hollywood rip-offs, or does their borrowing signal genuine innovation within the industry? Applying postmodern concepts and locating postmodern motifs in key commercial Hindi films, this innovative study reveals how Indian cinema has changed in the twenty-first century. Equipping readers with an alternative method of reading contemporary Indian cinema, Bollywood and Postmodernism takes Indian film studies beyond the standard theme of diaspora, and exposes a new decade of aesthetic experimentation and textual appropriation in mainstream Bombay cinema. A bold celebration of contemporary Bollywood texts, this book radically redefines Indian film and persuasively argues for its seriousness as a field of cinematic study. Neelam Sidhar Wright has taught Film and Media Studies at the University of Sussex, where she also completed her Doctoral thesis on Postmodern Bollywood. She has previously worked in various film production and media roles and as a freelance filmmaker. Cover image: Nidhi Karnavat @ Pop Goes the Art. Cover design: [EUP logo] www.euppublishing.com