This volume investigates the multifaceted evolution, cultural significance, and industrial structures of Indian cinema within a global context. Edited by Wimal Dissanayake and K. Moti Gokulsing, the text synthesizes contributions from leading scholars to provide a comprehensive analytical framework. It examines how Indian film industries navigate the intersection of regional identity, national politics, and international market pressures. The work serves as a critical resource for understanding the aesthetic and socio-economic dimensions of one of the world's largest film-producing nations.

Experts identify this handbook as a foundational reference text for scholars and students of Asian media studies. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose and the breadth of the research, which covers both mainstream and independent cinematic movements.