A virtual art gallery of sumptuous images displaying the fascinating range of publicity posters of Hindi cinema

On the streets of the vibrant and anarchic city of Mumbai, the film poster unfurls as a familiar splash of vivid colour. It acts as an attractive, instant invitation to the pleasures of Bollywood, the largest film industry on the planet. It is also a dynamic fusion, where the world’s most democratic art form meets one of the most exciting movie genres known. The result? A bold, ever-changing explosion of colour, form and typography that weaves together to tell the compelling story of Hindi cinema down the decades. The film posters of Bollywood have always had a long and glorious history, which is only now given the attention and recognition it richly deserves.
This book, a celebratory and provocative look at a stunning art form that has come into its own in very recent times, is a must-have for all cinema buffs and art lovers alike.

Jerry Pinto is the author of the Helen: The Life and Times of an H Bomb (Penguin India, National Award winner, Best Book on Film, 2007), a study of one of the most popular dancers of Bollywood screen history. He is also the co-author of a book on the life of Leela Naidu. Pinto is honorary secretary of Meljol, a non-governmental organisation that works for children’s rights, and a member of the Poetry Circle, Mumbai.

Sheena Sippy specializes in film and food photography, with an award-winning title to her credit, Lights Camera Masala: Making Movies in Mumbai. Her work has been featured in Vogue, Elle, Time, Cosmopolitan and Verve, among other leading magazines. She lives in Mumbai with her two children and a beagle, Lady Kurry ll.