Bollywood films have always been called masala movies since the
1970s as they mix several genres like romance, action, comedy, drama,
and thriller in one, just like in the spicy Bhelpuri, the puffed
rice snack dipped in various sauces and spices, famous especially in
Mumbai. This is what makes them unique and magical and every Indian
has grown upon them.
I have loved reading film magazines secretly and wide-eyed as a kid and
my love for all things Bollywood never quite stopped even in my
medical college years and beyond. The little pieces I wrote after
watching movies for family and friends needed a larger sharing; hence,
it has come in the form of this light and frothy book which takes you
through a ride of impressions of Bollywood movies through the 1970s to
2020s, through single screens to OTT platforms-the times and
techniques may have changed, but the heart still remains of a "movie
connoisseur"!
The world would indeed be a better place if we discussed more movies!
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Dr. Rashmi Sarkar, MD, FAMS, IFAAD is a Director Professor (Senior
Professor) of Dermatology at Lady Hardinge Medical College and
associated hospitals, New Delhi, India. She has done her MBBS from
Dayanand Medical College, Ludhiana, and MD Dermatology from PGI,
Chandigarh, India. She is a popular teacher serving for nearly 24 years
to undergraduate and postgraduate medical students in 5 eminent medical
institutes of India.
Dr. Sarkar has always been interested in writing short pieces and blogs.
Bollywood has been her area of interest and she has read film magazines
extensively close to more than four decades as well as several books on
the subject as well as listened to interviews on films, film
personalities avidly. She brings together several small pieces of
writing which she enjoyed penning over the several years and shared on
social media with family and friends in this book, for a light yet
"spicy" reading. She has occasionally written small pieces for The
Tribune and The Hindu Business Line.
