hear: The most essential element required to evoke that Bollywood ambience is the fabulous music of this genre of film. Here are four picks, all of which are available at amazon.com. Each works well for parties, both as background music and dance music.

• The Rough Guide to Bollywood by Various Artists of India— This disc features an overview of both ballads and duets as well as danceable club music from 1960 to the present.
• Bombay the Hard Way: Guns, Cars And Sitars—  This album is worth buying for the cover art alone. The film stills of Indian mobsters, thugs, and other seedy folks are priceless. The songs make for a good background soundtrack, as each one is actually incidental music from movie chase scenes and dramatic moments. A personal favorite track: "Good, the Bad, and the Chutney."
• The Rough Guide to Bhangra by Various Artists—  Bhangra is the Punjabi dance music that originated in rural villages and has been transformed into modern club music. It is great for dancing, with its dhol drum beats.
• Typhoon Asha by T.S. Soundz— Modern techno music with the sounds of sitar and tabla, as well as Bhangra-style vocals.