This is a loose collection of what I call “Hindi Film 101” pieces. Things that give you a basic grounding so that you are able to understand the films, and the film industry instead of feeling lost and confused. And which might also make you think a bit even if you are already familiar with the industry.
Starter Kit for Various Languages, Hindi-Malayalam-Tamil-Telugu
Hindi Female Focused Movies to Watch Once You Finish the Standard List
Hindi Action Films to Watch Once You Finish the Standard List
Hindi Rom-Coms to Watch Once You Finish the Standard List
Starter Kit for top Hindi stars-Shahrukh Khan, Salman Khan, Aamir Khan, Amitabh Bachchan
Starter Kit for Samarth-Mukherjee Actresses: Rani Mukherjee, Kajol, Tanisha, Tanuja, Nutan, Shobha
Starter Kit: Hindi Film Romance Through the Decades
100 Years of Indian Film History in 10 Producers
100 Years of Hindi Film History in 10 Movies
100 Years of Hindi Film History in 10 Stars
100 Years of Indian Film History in 10 Songs
100 Years of Indian Film History in 10 Producers
Hindi Film 101: Gossip Cliff Notes, the Biggest Stories in Hindi Film in One Place
Hindi Film 101: Priyanka Chopra and Shahrukh Khan
Hindi Film 101: Sanjay Dutt, Part 1: The Spoiled Son Turned Teenage Alcoholic
Hindi Film 101: Sanjay Dutt Part 2, The Motherless Addict
Hindi Film 101: Sanjay Dutt Part 3, Sanjay Earns His Own Naam
Hindi Film 101: Sanjay Dutt Part 4, An American Girl
Hindi Film 101: Sanjay Dutt Part 5, Growing Up
Hindi Film 101: Sanjay Dutt Part 6, Terrorism and Disruptive Activities
Hindi Film 101: Sanjay Dutt, Part 7, the Destruction of Sunil Dutt
Hindi Film 101: Sanjay Dutt, Part 8, The Women
Hindi Film 101: Sanjay Dutt, A Timeline of His Life
Hindi Film 101: Sanjay Dutt, Part 9, Sanju Baba Comes Home
Remember Mangal Panday, Let’s talk 1857
Sridevi Final Post: Putting It All Together
Sridevi: Her Life, Without Scandal
Starter Kit: Hindi Film Romance Through the Decades
Happy Birthday Madhubala! Beautifully Inhumanly Human
Cricket and Movie Star Romances
100 Years of Indian Film History in 10 Producers
100 Years of Indian Film History in 10 Songs
100 Years of Hindi Film History in 10 Stars
100 Years of Hindi Film History in 10 Movies
100 Years of Hindi Film History in 10 Producers
The Kapoor Family Part I: Prithviraj
The Kapoor Family Part II: Raj and Nargis
The Kapoor Family Part III: Randhir and Babita and Karisma and Kareena
The Kapoor Family Part IV: Rishi and Neetu
The Kapoor Family Part V: Ranbir Plus the Last Kapoor Brother
The Kapoor Family Part VI: the “Other” Kapoors Boney and Anil and Sanjay and Sridevi
The Khanna Kumar Kapadias Part I: Rajesh Khanna and Dimple Kapadia
The Khanna Kumar Kapadias Part 2: Dimple Again, Twinkle, and Akshay
The Khanna Kumar Kapadias Part 3: Unto Death
Tata Family Saga in Filmi Terms
Rekha Part 1: Childhood and Launch
Rekha Part 2: The Amitabh Years
The Samarth-Mukherjee Family Part 1
The Samarth-Mukherjee Family Part 2: the Ganguly Branch
The Samarth-Mukherjee Family Part 3: Nutan and Tanuja Arrive
The Samarth-Mukherjee Family Part 4: Kajol and Tanisha and Ajay and Nyssa
RIP Vinod Khanna One of the First 70s Heroes to Leave Us
Amitabh and The Coolie Incident
Amitabh from ABCL to Mohabbatein By Way of KBC
Meena Kumari Part 1: The Years as a Daughter
Meena Kumari Part 2: The Years as a Wife
Meena Kumari Part 3: The Last Loves
Meena Kumari Part 4: Pakeezah and the Epic Death
Nargis Dutt Part 1: Nargis Before Raj
Nargis Dutt Part 2: The Great Love Triangle
Nargis Dutt Part 3: the Congress Party, the Black Sheep Son, and Death
The Chopra Family Part 1: Yash and BR Chopra
The Chopra Family Part 2: Yash Raj Films Founded and The Mahabharata
The Chopra Family Part 3: Aditya Takes Charge, Gets Married, Has Baby
Fearless Nadia Wadia, Queen of Stunt Films
Shashi Kapoor is No More and an Era is Over
Case Study of Stardom: Shahrukh’s Filmography Part 1
Case Study of Stardom: Shahrukh’s Filmography Part 2
Case Study of Stardom: Shahrukh’s Filmography Part 3
Case Study of Stardom: Shahrukh’s Filmography Part 4
The Nehru-Gandhi Family Part 1: The First Generation
The Nehru-Gandhi Family Part 2: China
The Nehru-Gandhi Family Part 3: Sanjay and the Emergency
The Nehru-Gandhi Family Part 4: 1984
The Nehru-Gandhi Family Part 5: Rajiv and Sonia and Rahul
Top Hits of the Indian Box Office Part 1: 1940-1955
Top Hits of the Indian Box Office Part 2: 1955-1970
Top Hits of the Indian Box Office Part 3: 1971-1985
Top Hits of the Indian Box Office Part 4: 1986-2000
Top Hits of the Indian Box Office Part 5: 2000-2016
Bombay, the Mafia, and Hindi Film Part 1
Bombay, the Mafia, and Hindi Film Part 2
A History of Yash Raj and Dharma Films
Hindi Film 101: Media and Stars, From Dilip Kumar to Sonam Kapoor
Hindi Film 101: Media from Prithviraj Kapoor to Shahrukh Khan, Newspapers to Websites
Telugu Film 101: Savitri, the Basics
Hindi Film 101: A Brief Incomplete Overview of Hip-Hop/Rap in Indian Film
Hindi Film 101: The Problem of Concentrated Power
Hindi Film 101: White Women, White Privilege, and the “Feeble No”
Hindi Film 101: Nepotism, the Problem of the 3rd Film
Hindi Film 101: Vocabulary Post, Misogyny Versus Objectification Versus Patriarchy
Learn Indian Primary Narratives (Ram Aur Sita, Laila-Majnu, etc.) Through Song
The First Problem with Shahrukh: Feminism Doesn’t Mean Treating Women As Your Special Pets
The Second Problem with Shahrukh: Rebranding Brand SRK
Hindi Film 101: KriArj versus John Abraham, Professionals Versus Artists
Why I Give Thanks to Aamir Khan
Hindi Film 101: Fan Identities and Shifting Stardom
Me Too, Indian Style-Jeetendra Accused of Rape
Discussion Post: Skin Tone in India! Discuss and Educate Us!
Sridevi’s Death and Looking “Healthy”
Shahrukh Speaks on Film Controversies, Agrees With Me, This is Why I Am His Fan
Hindi Film 101: Marriage and Movie Stars
Fan Studies, “Female” versus “Male” Fans, and Fan Power
A History of Islamaphobia in Hindi and Western Popular Culture
Stars as Commodities, Directors as Parents, Money Money Money
Padmavat/Padman: Does Bhansali Just Not Care About the Rest of the Industry?
90s Male Stars, Shahrukh Khan, Virat Kohli, and Upside Down Mortgages
Box Office and What it Does or Doesn’t Mean
Musical Digital Rights and Indian Film
Why Do We Keep Seeing the Same Thing Over and Over Again? Risk Reward in Hindi Film
Happy Birthday Manish Malhotra, In Your Honor a Post About Costumes
Some Famous Indian Baghdadi Jews
A Brief History of the Crime Film
The Rise of Franchises in Indian Film
Gross Versus Net Profit Points, Akshay Kumar and Jimmy Stewart
Bajirao Mastani and Indian Film Structure in 10 Points
Bajirao, Mughal-E-Azam, Jodha-Akbar and the Evolution of Interreligious Romance
Who Was Really the Top Actor of 2015?
Ratnam-Rahman and the Importance of the Director-Composer Relationship in Indian Film
SRKajol: A Historical Overview
Indrani Mukerjea, Tevar, and the Power of Parents in Indian Society
What Makes DDLJ Unusual as a Romance and What Other Movies Have Managed the Same thing?
India and the Oscars and Why They Never Win
Argo Versus Airlift and Adaptation Versus Inspiration
American Musicals and Indian Film
The Two Types of Hindi Film Romance
Development Wing at Dharma Productions
Christmas Means Hope and Why I Find That in Hindi Film
Feminism Versus Feminist Film Criticism
The Three Phases of an Actress’ Career
Politics and Film, Politics and Hatred, and Padmavati
What Shahrukh Khan Means to the Overseas Audience
Padmavati Orientalism History and Art
Hrithik and Kangana, Mental Health and Class
Box Office and the American Press
The Future and Past of All-India Hits
A Very Very General History of Dance
How to Cheat Your Way To the Top Ten Box Office List
Hindi Film 101: Cannes Film Festival
Hindi Film 101: The Shroff Family
Hindi Film 101: The Problems with Indian film Reviewers
Hindi Film 101: Filmi Babies, the Next Generation of Studio Heads
Hindi Film 101: Mohabarat and Ramayana Part 7, Abhimanyu and Gandhari
Hindi Film 101: Incest/Not Incest in South Asian Culture
Hindi film 101: How Do You Become a Hindi Film Star? Let’s Look at Current Actors to Find Out!
Hindi Film 101: Feminism in Translation
Hindi Film 101: PewDiePie Versus India and “Funny” Racism
Hindi Film 101: Class and Film and a Little Bit Kangana
Hindi Film 101/Book Review: Shaheen Bhatt’s Memoir About Her Depression
Hindi Film 101: The Bhatts Part 1
Hindi Film 101: the Bhatts Part 2
Hindi Film 101: Shahrukh and Karan
Hindi Film 101: Weddings! Sangeet, Mehendi, Whole Thing
Hindi Film 101: Red Chillies and a New Way of Reaching the International Audience
Hindi Film 101: Hegemony, Politics, and the Strange Case of Shahrukh Khan
Hindi Film 101: The Sangh Pariwar Philosophy and What it Lets In
Hindi Film 101: What I Mean By “Hindutva”
10 Indian Historical Films About the Quit India Movement
10 Indian Historical Non-Epic Films
#MeToo: VVC and Rajkumar Hirani Productions and the Issue of Official and Unofficial Ties
Hindi Film 101: Why the Falling Box Office Isn’t the Fault of the 3 Khans
Hindi Film 101: Ramayan and Mahabharat Part 6, the War Starts, Drona and Bhishma
10 Indian Movies With White Girls
10 Indian Films to Start Feminist Discussions
Hindi Film 101: Mohabharat and Ramayan Part 5, Krishna
Hindi Film 101: The Basics of the Ambanis
Hindi Film 101: Part 3, Bhishma’s Vow and Draupadi’s Hair
Hindi Film 101: Ramayan and Mohabharat Part 2, Questions Without Answers
Hindi Film 101: The Basics of the Ramayan and the Mohabharat Part 1
Hindi Film 101: the Structure of the Tawaif/Item Song
Hindi Film 101: Social Life in the Hindi Film Industry, Why Weddings Are Important
Hindi Film 101: Indian Film as Escape and Reality
#MeToo Post: The Carrot and the Stick, the Suspected and the Hidden
#MeToo Post: The Job Interview
#MeToo Post: A Challenge in Learning to Live With Multiple Truths
#MeToo: The Responsibility of the Court of Public Opinion
Hindi Film 101: Dangers and Strengths of Romantic Fantasy, Alpha to Beta to Zeta
#MeToo: Nawazuddin to Nana to Vikas Bahl
Hindi Film 101: Trolling and Censorship and Bystanders
Hindi Film 101: Kangana and Why Closed Doors Increase Creativity
Hindi Film 101: The 6 Kinds of Film Songs
Hindi Film 101: A History of T-Series, The World’s Most Popular YouTube Channel
Hindi Film 101: 5 Kinds of Item Songs
Hindi/Tamil Film 101: Rajinikanth Part 1
Hindi/Tamil Film 101: Rajinikanth Part 2
Hindi Film 101: Aamir’s Filmography Part 1
Hindi Film 101: Aamir’s Filmography Part 2
Hindi Film 101: Aamir’s Filmography Part 3
Hindi Film 101: The Basics of Media Studies Part 2
Hindi Film 101: The Basics of Media Studies Part 1
Hindi Film 101: The Problem of the Unfulfilled Upper Class Man
Hindi Film 101: Ali Zafar Sexual Harassment
Hindi Film 101: The Streaming Wars Part 1
Hindi Film 101: The Streaming Wars Part 2
Hindi Film 101: The Streaming Wars Part 3
Hindi Film 101: The Streaming Wars Part 4
Hindi Film 101: The Streaming Wars Part 5
Hindi Film 101: The Streaming Wars Part 6
Hindi Film 101: Stars and the Masks They Wear and How to Talk About Them
Hindi Film 101: Katrina Kaif, the Mystery Woman
Hindi Film 101: Karan Johar, What Do the Numbers Say? Nepotism or No?
Hindi Film 101: Turn of the Century Sociopaths
Hindi Film 101: Rape Laws in India
Hindi Film 101: Salman, Aishwarya, Viviek, Primary Sources from 2003
Hindi Film 101: Salman Khan Part 1, Salim Khan the Motherless Boy
Hindi Film 101: Salman Khan Part 2, Helen and Heartbreak
Hindi Film 101: Salman Khan Part 3, Why Salman is the Way He is, Trigemeneul Neuralgia and Khan-daan
Hindi Film 101: Salman Khan Part 4, The Abusive Boyfriend
Hindi Film 101: Salman Khan Part 5, The Hit and Run
Hindi Film 101: Salman Khan Part 6, the Black Buck
Hindi Film 101: Salman Khan Part 7, a Timeline
Hindi Film 101: The Deol Family Part 1, Dharmendra and His Loves
Hindi Film 101: The Deol Family Part 2, Dharam-Garam
Hindi Film 101: How to Read a Bad Review and Still Like the Movie
dontcallitbollywood 
This is so good. Thanks Margaret!
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You’re welcome! Now I have to decide if it is worth doing the same thing for news posts and Box Office.
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Thank you so much for this!
At least half the content under “Everything else” is stuff I didn’t know existed on your site.
For box office, if every box office post is tagged Box Office, then clicking the Box Office tag is sufficient, or making the menu item do the same thing as clicking the tag is sufficient. Unless you want to group then in different ways. Usually chronological would make the most sense.
Same for News Posts (are they tagged as News?).
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News Posts are “Filmi News You Can Use”. Box Office in the menu should take you to all of them. The irritating thing is, it’s not chronological, it’s in order of popularity I think.
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Thanks for doing this work, Margaret, it’s really a big help 🙂
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Lovely to have these all in one place. Thank you!
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Hey Margaret! I just came across your blog recently and I am obessed!!
This isn’t directly related to the film industry but I was wondering if you could write anything on the ambani’s? Their recent engagement and PRE engagement bashes have me intruiged. Your thoughts on Antillia itself would make for a good piece I think!
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Hey Margaret! I just came across your blog recently and I am obessed!!
This isn’t directly related to the film industry but I was wondering if you could write anything on the ambani’s? Their recent engagement and PRE engagement bashes have me intruiged. Your thoughts on Antillia itself would make for a good piece I think!
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Welcome! I am so glad to have you here 🙂 Please keep reading and commenting.
The Ambani’s would be an interesting topic for a 101, I’ll have to think about it. Thanks for the idea!
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