A centenary of Bollywood

Now in its 100th year, Indian cinema has managed to make a country riven by sharp differences of religion, caste, ethnicity and language laugh and weep together.

INDIAN cinema turned 100 years old last week. And what a journey it has been! A country riven by sharp differences of religion, caste, ethnicity and language discovered that it could laugh and weep together watching films produced by Bollywood. Such was the pull of films that over a short period, India became the largest producer of films in the world, leaving Hollywood far behind.