Bollywood is the largest film industry in the world. Every year over 1000 films are made, more than triple that of Hollywood. The colourful and often vibrant posters pervade the streets of India, becoming more than just a form of entertainment; films are often a tool to bring warmth, comfort, escapism and real social change in the country.
The posters have changed over time but the classic film posters from the 1950s to early 1990s show a glorious explosion of color, form, and typography. The appeal of books like Bollywood Posters by Jerry Pinto is that, as well as appealing to the Bollywood fans, its appeal also extends beyond that to graphic designers and artists who will find much to inspire them as well.

This book has some great scans and photos of Bollywood posters through the ages. Whilst in no way a comprehensive look into the subject, how could it be? The book provides a wide and varied compilation of posters, categorised by genres. Some of the posters only have Hindi wiring and so it is occasionally difficult to ascertain what some films are titled as but as a look into the often underappreciated art-form, this book presents a brilliant collection. There are some rare posters shown and often next to each poster the merits of each film is explored with a short synopsis.

The modern film posters are more photo based and utilise tools like Photoshop, which are both fine, but I like the artistry shown in the hand painted posters of the bygone era. This book is a wonderful look at the evolution of Bollywood posters and as a niche product is essential for Bollywood, graphic artists and simply fans of art.