Bollywood

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Synopsis

The film industry employs more than a quarter of a million people in India and Anita Rani begins her journey in Mumbai – the home of Bollywood – where the stars tower over the city on enormous murals. Anita discovers just how important the movies are to everyday people at one of the oldest cinemas in Mumbai, where she quickly finds herself in the middle of a screaming mob as the stars of that night’s film make a surprise appearance.

Anita is invited onto the set of a film shooting in downtown Mumbai, where she meets one of Bollywood’s biggest stars, Anil Kapoor, who explains the enduring appeal of these films and gives her a rare glimpse into how the famous dance numbers are shot with almost no rehearsals in advance. Inspired to give it a go herself, Anita joins a leading choreographer who explains the ancient traditions at the heart of modern Bollywood dance numbers before they all head to the roof of a high-rise so Anita can star in a Bollywood ‘Item Number’ herself

  • BBC
  • August 2018