’Yash Chopra made Chandni for the masses’

Bollywood's increasing focus on a multiplex audience is just one of the concerns shared by Jerry Pinto and Rachel Dwyer, editors of a new anthology of interviews and essays, Beyond the Boundaries of Bollywood, that offers a refreshing 360-degree spin on Hindi cinema

Jerry Pinto is worriedu00a0-- "There is an increasing internationalisation of Hindi cinema. We are double guessing whether Brajesh in Bradford will enjoy the film. Bollywood was always about the masses. Now, everybody wants to be in the multiplex." India was one of the few places where its vibrant cinema held its own against Hollywood, sighs the journalist-author. "Did Yash Chopra think of this when he made Chandni? That was made for us, not for Hollywood. Our films are getting shorter too."

Chandni, which featured Sridevi in flowing chiffon sarisu00a0-- a Yash Raj
trademarku00a0-- was a big hit in 1989.

He admits that putting together any compilation, like this one Beyond the Boundaries of Bollywoodu00a0 which he co-edited with Hindi cinema expert, Rachel Dwyer, is a challenge. Another concern is the disappearance of the cinema writer: "Who will write about our cinema? All the South Indian writers are writing about Bollywood."

Paying heed to the less-acknowledged aspects of Hindi cinema is paramount, as Dwyer clarifies in the introduction. No predictable biggies make it to the contributor's list. Instead, you'll spot names that have shaped the alternate cinematic landscape, from Kaushik Bhaumik to Elahe Hiptoola. And there are insightful interviews with film festival directors and heads of budget DVD empires.

Breaching the gulf
"Talmiz Ahmed, who was the Indian Ambassador to the UAE (2007-10) recognised India's soft power, which lay in cinema. He suggested this to Rachel, his classmate, and with support from the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, Cinemas of India, a festival of award-winning Indian films was organised in November 2008," says Pinto of the book's origins. There was also a day-long seminar where experts presented papers on Indian cinema. "These papers were compiled by Rachel. I interviewed those who don't fall under the 'Bollywood' umbrella, like Bina Paul."

During his research, Bollywood always emerged as their first cinematic encounter. "Whether an individual became an actor, a technician or a cinephile, it was always a dishum-dishum scene, a dance or a dialogue that everyone had a connect with."

Bring home the film
Pinto also discovered a marked shift in audience choicesu00a0-- "As a kid, I always stepped out to watch a film. Now, the film comes home to you." His interview with Moser Baer head honcho Harish Dayani lays down a few discoveries.

While most people watched films to either educate themselves or for entertainment, "some watched Ramsay's horror flicks purely because it was bad cinema!" He also singles out the NRI who thrives on nostalgia and stays abreast with the latestu00a0-- "They make pilgrimages to Rhythm House to stash current hits.

"Beyond the Boundaries of Bollywoodu00a0-- The Many Forms of Hindi Cinema, edited by Rachel Dwyer and Jerry Pinto, Oxford University Press, Rs 695