Abstract

This article focuses on three dimensions of the political economy of the Hindi film industry. First, it outlines the Indian state's attitudes toward cinema and its historically ambivalent relationship with the Hindi film industry, which is important for understanding the broader context of film production. Then, it describes the production, distribution, and exhibition structures of the Hindi film industry, highlighting the changes that have been occurring since the mid- 2000's. Finally, it discusses the growing presence of Hollywood in India and its relationship to the Hindi film industry. Some broad lessons can be learned from this discussion: there is not a straightforward correspondence between state policy and the success or commercial viability of a film industry; the commercial nature of a film industry does not render its structure or organization transparent; and nation-bounded analyses of film industries may not account for the complexity of contemporary filmmaking.