Film posters are a medium used to pro- mote and advertise a film. They normally contain images with text from a movie for which they are used. By the early 1900s, they began to feature illustrations of a film scene or an array of overlaid images from several scenes. Other posters have used artistic interpretations of a scene or even the theme of the film, represented in a wide variety of artistic styles. Although the exact origins of Bollywood movie posters are relatively unknown, it is widely believed that the first Indian movie to use a poster as part of its publicity was Kalyan Khajina (1924). 

Vintage Bollywood movie posters have travelled a long way since then – from serving as media for publicity and advertising in the golden film era, to the present day where they serve as a subject of much curiosity for art lovers, historians, vintage & antique collectors, Bollywood movie poster aficionados, interior decorators, premise owners, etc. Vintage Bollywood movie posters regaled audiences in the past with their kitschy, bohemian appearances – broad visible brush strokes with a striking array of colors and typography. Their visual treat today is accessible mainly via museums and exhibitions. In summary, vintage Bollywood movie posters have had a fascinating journey over the years, from gracing walls outside cinema houses in the past to occupying centre stage in the chic modern-day homes of the elite today. The “retro” feel of hand painted Bollywood movie posters from the good old days is a stark contrast to the “photoshopped” digital Bollywood movie posters of to- day. Quite simply, the feel and colours of vintage hand painted Bollywood movie posters are impossible to replicate with computers.