Arms outstretched above a crowd of spectators, a Bollywood actor serenades his co-star. As in all Bollywood films, he lip-syncs his song. Actual lyrics are recorded by studio "playback singers," who often become musical stars in their own right. Well before a Bollywood film hits the screen, its soundtrack hits the airwaves, part of a pre-release blitz to build an audience for coming attractions.
—Text adapted from and photograph published in "Welcome to Bollywood," February 2005, National Geographic magazine
