Glamour, glitz and sheer talent are coming together at a Birmingham school where pupils and industry professionals are making a Bollywood film together.

Gavina and Parmjit look at Bollywood's origins, as a prelude to their own production.

India made its first film in conjunction with the British and it was not until 1913 that the first entirely Indian-made film was released.

Even this film had origins related to Christians as the director was inspired by a film about the life of Christ. It seemed that India was still reluctant to unleash its own individual creativity.

However, cinema is now one of India’s most vibrant cultural products, producing a quarter of the world’s films and Bollywood now influences the world in fashion, art, food and music amongst other things.

The first Indian films were soundless motion pictures and it was not until several decades later that the first sound film was introduced (in 1931) and rapidly displaced the silent movies.

Naturally, films were anticipated with excitement, but it was only after Independence in 1947, during the 1950s and 1960s, when the "Golden Age" of cinema evolved and ignited global interest in Indian cinema.

The 1970s saw the rise of India’s greatest superstar, Amitabh Bachan. Even today, he is the most sought after actor within the older generation and continues to bring a passionate and unique aura to each film that he is associated with.

The 1980s involved films packed with action and drama being brought to the big screen. The audience mostly comprised working class men and so the films had to interest them.

As the decade came to a close and audiocassettes became increasingly available, there was a renewed interest in the music of Indian films.

Bollywood has influenced fashion, music and food in the Western world

This interest contributed to the rise of the romantic teen musicals that made up most of the vast proportion of films being produced during the 1990s.

Roles were taken by a new generation of younger stars who dominated the industry, and for the most part they still do: Madhuri Dixit, Juhi Chawla, Aamir Khan, Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan.

These actors and actresses are now household names, with the women in particular conveying a sense of importance and worth to the female population of India, motivating them to overcome the positions of subservience that have been socially cast upon them.

The release of "Hum Aapke Hain Kaun" (What am I to you) in 1994 proved to be the biggest box-office hit in history.

Madhur Dixit - one of one of India's leading actresses

It heralded the beginning of an era of films in which the notions of family relationships, tradition, dignity and their importance were explored.

Such films, currently a field of expertise for director Yash Chopra, are perhaps the most watched and biggest grossing films of Indian cinema.

Indeed, Indian films have come under fire for their exaggerated story-lines and seemingly random dance sequences on hilltops all over the world.

However, the opulence and vibrant nature of these films act as a medium for escapism, dreams and hope for many under-privileged Indian families.

Global recognition and a genuine interest in Bollywood truly began at the start of the new millennium. The film Lagaan, directed by Aamir Khan, provided evidence that India was equally capable of producing historical epics as Hollywood.

Lagaan was nominated for an Oscar, and though it didn't win, the media interest in the film provided the platform for Bollywood’s rise to global domination to begin.

In 2001 it became increasingly apparent that other industries were beginning to be influenced by Bollywood.

The fashion industry was the first to take notice and by 2002, the music industry began to show an awareness of Bollywood’s vast talent, at the forefront of which stands A.R.Rahman, the musical director who transformed Andrew Lloyd Webber’s ‘Bombay Dreams’ into an exhilarating and colourful musical.

Leading actors like Sanjeev Bhaskar and Meera Syal have paved the way for British Asian acting respectability.

Indian cinema has also enabled British Asians to gain acceptance and more respect in society.

The success of ‘Goodness Gracious Me’ stars Sanjeev Bhaskar and Meera Syal emphasise this.

In a series of articles, a team of writers at King Edward VI Handsworth School for Girls propose to explore the effect of Bollywood on other industries in detail.

Perhaps the most exciting feature will be an account of our involvement in the production of our very own Bollywood film in conjunction with King Edward VI Aston School for Boys.

Interviews with the cast and crew, as well as coverage of promotional events promise to make this a web-page that must be visited.

The Bollywood boom is gaining momentum and is now proving that for every Tom Hanks, Brad Pitt and John Smith, there will be an Amitabh Bachan, Shah Rukh Khan and Jagjit Singh.