India's film industries
"Bollywood" is only one part of Indian cinema. India makes well over a thousand feature films a year, in more than twenty languages.
Each major language has its own film industry, with its own stars, studios and audiences, often nicknamed after Hollywood. Increasingly they share talent and release films in each other's languages.
| Language | Nickname | Main centre | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hindi | Bollywood | Mumbai | The largest national audience; romance, family drama, star vehicles. Sholay, DDLJ, Jawan |
| Telugu | Tollywood | Hyderabad | Large-scale action and spectacle. RRR, Baahubali 2, Pushpa 2 |
| Tamil | Kollywood | Chennai | Star-driven action, strong music, a long tradition of political cinema. Vikram |
| Malayalam | Mollywood | Kochi | Realistic, writing-led films and thrillers. Drishyam, Manjummel Boys |
| Kannada | Sandalwood | Bengaluru | Recent national breakouts. K.G.F: Chapter 2, Kantara |
| Bengali | Tollywood (Tollygunge) | Kolkata | Art cinema tradition. Pather Panchali |
| Marathi | – | Mumbai, Pune | Where Indian cinema began; strong social dramas |
| Punjabi, Gujarati, Bhojpuri, Assamese, Odia and others | – | Regional centres | Growing regional industries with loyal audiences |
"Pan-India" films
Since the mid-2010s, big-budget films are often shot in one language and released the same day in five or six. A Telugu or Kannada film can now be the biggest hit in Hindi-speaking states, and stars from all industries appear in each other's films. See South Indian films in Hindi.
Certificates
Every film released in Indian cinemas is certified by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC): U (all ages), UA (parental guidance, now split by age as UA 7+, UA 13+ and UA 16+), A (adults only) and S (specialised audiences such as doctors).