Fun, interesting look at Indian cinema. Alter follows the making of one film (Vishal Bhardwaj's Omkara, an Indian version of Othello) and at the same time offers plenty of anecdotes and insights into Indian moviemaking in general. ( )

HOW lucky was Stephen Alter?!?!

Of all the Bollywood films made in the 2005-2006 period, Alter got to shadow the making of Vishal Bharadwaj's OMKARA. As quickly became apparent, OMKARA was a rare wonder - a breakout hit that became the talk of film fans across the world - and Alter captures plenty of telling detail in vivid prose as he observes the making of a masterpiece.

However, Alter doesn't restrict himself to writing a "Making Of" book - instead, he uses OMKARA as a launching-point to interview many other key players in Bollywood. Those chapters are a little superficial if you're a diehard Bollywood fan, but provide a nice gentle introduction for those who know next-to-nothing about Hindi cinema.

Overall: don't expect this book to offer deep insights into the nature of Bollywood, but it's still an absolute must-read for OMKARA fans. His account of the filming of the "Beedi" sequence will make you feel like you're there, cheering on the rave! ( )