The real merriment with a touch of madness, however, rolls up with the customary bhang, prepared from the extract of cannabis. And trust our movies to make most of this practice as far as creating entertaining situations go.

With Holi just around the corner, rediff.com takes a look at the side-effects of bhang and the moments it creates in Bollywood.

Rang Barse, Silsila

The intoxicating effects of a bhang overdose take over Amitabh Bachchan as he unabashedly flirts with another's wife, much to their respective spouse's embarrassment in Yash Chopra's sensational take on infidelity, Silsila.

It's one of the most iconic images of Holi as Big B irresistibly frolics around a demure Rekha, dishing out that towering baritone in the form of a catchy song, Rang barse. What can one do except join the chorus in roaring 'Holi hai!'