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Bollywood
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Sholay Raj Kapoor
A photo montage of a colorful Indian flag waving on a white paper background, and a black and white photo of two Indian filmmakers peering through a large film movie camera.
Golden age of Bollywood Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge Om Puri Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in a black leather outfit poses confidently at the center of a group of female dancers in a dimly lit nightclub scene from Dhoom:2. Deepika Padukone and Priyanka Chopra Jonas perform a classical dance in matching maroon saris, surrounded by dancers, in a grand hall scene from Bajirao Mastani. Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham Lagaan
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USA 2006 - 78th Annual Academy Awards. Closeup of giant Oscar statue at the entrance of the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles, California. Hompepage blog 2009, arts and entertainment, film movie hollywood
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Chandigarh. Statuettes at the Rock Garden of Chandigarh a sculpture park in Chandigarh, India, also known as Nek Chand's Rock Garden. Created by Nek Chand Saini an Indian self taught artist. visionary artist, folk artist, environmental art
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Sholay
Sholay Indian actors Dharmendra (left) and Amitabh Bachchan as Veeru and Jai, respectively, in the landmark Bollywood film Sholay (1975; “Embers”).

Bollywood

film industry, India
Also known as: Hindi film industry
Written by
Gitanjali Roy
Gitanjali Roy is deputy managing editor, Encyclopaedia Britannica. She has over two decades of editorial experience across digital and broadcast media.
Gitanjali Roy
Fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
Last updated
•History

Bollywood, Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai (formerly Bombay). Bollywood, a portmanteau combining Bombay and Hollywood, is the largest component of the Indian moviemaking industry, which began in the 1930s and developed into an enormous film empire. Bollywood productions are known for their emotional appeal, spectacular use of music and dance, and contribution to Indian popular culture. (Read Martin Scorsese’s Britannica essay on film preservation.) Very little is known about early cinematic achievements in India,...

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