Introduction
Introduction
This introductory chapter traces how critical discourse on Indian cinema has evolved over the last ten years. It addresses some of the factors that have played a part in accelerating the breadth of research on Indian cinema, particularly the proliferation of new media such as the Internet, YouTube, blogging, and DVDs. The chapter then provides some wider context to the current state of Indian cinema and how it has changed considerably in the new millennium. The term Bollywood, ‘a slang term for the commercial side of the Indian movie business’, continues to be a term of contention among those who work in the Indian film industry, conjuring up unpleasant connotations of low culture and trashy escapism. Yet there is no denying that Bollywood has entered the lexicon of film language and that, at least in the West, this derogatory term points to the film industry based in Mumbai (formerly Bombay). Like ‘world cinema’, Bollywood has become a catch-all term and a marketing-friendly one, but it fails to cover the sheer diversity and specificities offered by what is one of the world's leading film industries.
Keywords: Indian cinema, new media, Bollywood, Indian movie business, Indian film industry
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