Cinema of India

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The cinema of India, consisting of motion pictures made by the Indian film industry, has had a large effect on world cinema since the second half of the 20th century.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="produced">Template:Bulleted list</ref> Indian cinema is made up of various film industries, each focused on producing films in a specific language, such as Hindi, Bengali, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Marathi, Gujarati, Punjabi, Bhojpuri, Assamese, Odia and others.

Major centres of film production across the country include Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Kochi, Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar-Cuttack, and Guwahati.Template:Refn For a number of years, the Indian film industry has ranked first in the world in terms of annual film output.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2024, Indian cinema earned Template:INR ($1.36 billion) at the Indian box-office.<ref name="FE_Jan2025" /> Ramoji Film City located in Hyderabad is certified by the Guinness World Records as the largest film studio complex in the world measuring over 1,666 acres (674 ha).<ref name="Guinness World Records">Template:Cite web</ref>

Indian cinema is composed of multilingual and multi-ethnic film art. The term 'Bollywood', often mistakenly used to refer to Indian cinema as a whole, specifically denotes the Hindi-language film industry. Indian cinema, however, is an umbrella term encompassing multiple film industries, each producing films in its respective language and showcasing unique cultural and stylistic elements.

In 2021, Telugu cinema emerged as the largest film industry in India in terms of box office.<ref name="OM2">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":2"/> In 2022, Hindi cinema represented 33% of box office revenue, followed by Telugu representing 20%, Tamil representing 16%, Bengali and Kannada representing 8%, and Malayalam representing 6%, with Marathi, Punjabi and Gujarati being the other prominent film industries based on revenue.<ref name="OM" /><ref name="Statista_20222">Template:Cite web</ref> As of 2022, the combined revenue of South Indian film industries has surpassed that of the Mumbai-based Hindi-language film industry (Bollywood).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":1b">Template:Cite news</ref> As of 2022, Telugu cinema leads Indian cinema with 23.3 crore (233 million) tickets sold, followed by Tamil cinema with 20.5 crore (205 million) and Hindi cinema with 18.9 crore (189 million).<ref name="mint">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="OM">Template:Cite web</ref>

Indian cinema is a global enterprise,<ref name="Khanna155">Khanna, 155</ref> and its films have attracted international attention and acclaim throughout South Asia.<ref name="Khanna158">Khanna, 158</ref> Since talkies began in 1931, Hindi cinema has led in terms of box office performance, but in recent years it has faced stiff competition from Telugu cinema.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":2">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Overseas Indians account for 12% of the industry's revenue.<ref name="Potts74">Potts, 74</ref>

History

Template:Main The history of cinema in India extends to the beginning of the film era. Following the public screening of the Lumière brothers' and Robert Paul's moving pictures in London in late 1895 and early 1896, respectively, commercial cinematography became a worldwide sensation and these films were shown in Bombay (now Mumbai) that same year.<ref name="Burra&Rao252">Burra & Rao, 252</ref>

Silent era (1890s–1920s)

From 1913 to 1931, all the movies made in India were silent films, which had no sound and had intertitles.<ref name="IT-2017">Template:Cite magazine</ref>

History of Indian cinema

In 1913, Dadasaheb Phalke released Raja Harishchandra (1913) in Bombay, the first film made in India. It was a silent film incorporating English, Marathi, and Hindi intertitles.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite news</ref> Films steadily gained popularity across India as affordable entertainment for the masses (admission as low as an anna [one-sixteenth of a rupee] in Bombay).<ref name="Burra&Rao252" /> Young producers began to incorporate elements of Indian social life and culture into cinema, others brought new ideas from across the world. Global audiences and markets soon became aware of India's film industry.<ref name="Burra&Rao252-253">Burra & Rao, 252–253</ref>

In 1927, the British government, to promote the market in India for British films over American ones, formed the Indian Cinematograph Enquiry Committee.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> This committee failed to support the intended recommendations for promoting British film, instead recommending support for the fledgling Indian film industry. As a result, their suggestions were set aside.

Sound era

The first Indian sound film was Alam Ara (1931) made by Ardeshir Irani.<ref name="Burra&Rao253">Burra & Rao, 253</ref>

The first film studio in South India, Durga Cinetone, was built in 1936 by Nidamarthi Surayya in Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>Template:Contradictory inline The advent of sound to Indian cinema launched musicals such as Indra Sabha and Devi Devyani, marking the beginning of song-and-dance in Indian films.<ref name="Burra&Rao253" /> By 1935, studios emerged in major cities such as Madras, Calcutta and Bombay as filmmaking became an established industry, exemplified by the success of Devdas (1935).<ref name="Burra&Rao254">Burra & Rao, 254</ref> The first colour film made in India was Kisan Kanya (1937, Moti B).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Swamikannu Vincent, who had built the first cinema of South India in Coimbatore, introduced the concept of "tent cinema" in which a tent was erected on a stretch of open land to screen films. The first of its kind was in Madras and was called Edison’s Grand Cinema Megaphone, named for the electric carbons used in motion picture projectors.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>Template:Explain Bombay Talkies opened in 1934 and Prabhat Studios in Pune began production of Marathi films.<ref name="Burra&Rao254" /> However, while Indian filmmakers sought to tell important stories, the British Raj banned Wrath (1930) and Raithu Bidda (1938) for broaching the subject of the Indian independence movement.<ref name="Burra&Rao253" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The Indian Masala film—a term used for mixed-genre films that combined song, dance, romance, etc.—arose following the Second World War.<ref name="Burra&Rao254" /> During the 1940s, cinema in South India accounted for nearly half of India's cinema halls, and cinema came to be viewed as an instrument of cultural revival.<ref name="Burra&Rao254" /> The Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA), an art movement with a communist inclination, began to take shape through the 1940s and the 1950s.<ref name="Rajadhyaksa96-679">Rajadhyaksa, 679</ref> IPTA plays, such as Nabanna (1944), prepared the ground for realism in Indian cinema,<ref name="Rajadhyaksa96-679" /> as seen in the films Mother India (1957) and Pyaasa (1957), among India's most recognisable cinematic productions.<ref name="Rajadhyaksa96-681">Rajadhyaksa, 681</ref>

Following independence, the 1947 partition of India divided the nation's assets and a number of studios moved to Pakistan.<ref name="Burra&Rao254" /> Partition became an enduring film subject thereafter.<ref name="Burra&Rao254" /> The Indian government had established a Films Division by 1948, which eventually became one of the world's largest documentary film producers.<ref name="Rajadhyaksa96-681-683">Rajadhyaksa, 681–683</ref>

Golden Age (late 1940s–1960s)

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Satyajit Ray is recognised as one of the greatest filmmakers of the 20th century.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The period from the late 1940s to the early 1960s is regarded by film historians as the Golden Age of Indian cinema.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> This period saw the emergence of the parallel cinema movement, which emphasised social realism. Mainly led by Bengalis,<ref name="Gokulsing-18" /> it laid the foundations for Indian neorealism.<ref name="filmreference">Template:Cite web</ref>

The Apu Trilogy (1955–1959, Satyajit Ray) won prizes at several major international film festivals and firmly established the parallel cinema movement.<ref name="Rajadhyaksa96-683">Rajadhyaksa, 683</ref> It was influential on world cinema and led to a rush of coming-of-age films in art house theatres.<ref name="Sragow">Template:Cite journal</ref>

During the 1950s, Indian cinema reportedly became the world's second largest film industry, earning a gross annual income of Template:INRConvert in 1953.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The government created the Film Finance Corporation (FFC) in 1960 to provide financial support to filmmakers.<ref name="Rajadhyaksa96-684">Rajadhyaksa, 684</ref> While serving as Information and Broadcasting Minister of India in the 1960s, Indira Gandhi supported the production of off-beat cinema through the FFC.<ref name="Rajadhyaksa96-684" /> Commercial Hindi cinema began thriving, including acclaimed films Pyaasa (1957) and Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959, Guru Dutt) Awaara (1951) and Shree 420 (1955, Raj Kapoor). These films expressed social themes mainly dealing with working-class urban life in India.<ref name="Gokulsing-18">Template:Cite book</ref>

Epic film Mother India (1957, Mehboob Khan) was the first Indian film to be nominated for the US-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Academy Award for Best Foreign Language FilmTemplate:Citation needed and defined the conventions of Hindi cinema for decades.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite AV media</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It spawned a new genre of dacoit films.<ref name="Teo">Template:Cite book</ref> Gunga Jumna (1961, Dilip Kumar) was a dacoit crime drama about two brothers on opposite sides of the law, a theme that became common in Indian films in the 1970s.<ref name="Ganti">Template:Cite book</ref>

Actor Dilip Kumar rose to fame in the 1950s, and was the biggest Indian movie star of the time.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He was a pioneer of method acting, predating Hollywood method actors such as Marlon Brando. Much like Brando's influence on New Hollywood actors, Kumar inspired Hindi actors, including Amitabh Bachchan, Naseeruddin Shah, Shah Rukh Khan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

1970s–present

By 1986, India's annual film output had increased to 833 films annually, making India the world's largest film producer.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Hindi film production of Bombay, the largest segment of the industry, became known as "Bollywood".

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By 1996, the Indian film industry had an estimated domestic cinema viewership of 600Template:Nbspmillion people, establishing India as one of the largest film markets, with the largest regional industries being Hindi, Telugu, and Tamil films.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> In 2001, in terms of ticket sales, Indian cinema sold an estimated 3.6 billion tickets annually across the globe, compared to Hollywood's 2.6 billion tickets sold.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Hindi

Realistic parallel cinema continued throughout the 1970s,<ref name="Rajadhyaksa96-685">Rajadhyaksa, 685</ref> practised in many Indian film cultures. The FFC's art film orientation came under criticism during a Committee on Public Undertakings investigation in 1976, which accused the body of not doing enough to encourage commercial cinema.<ref name="Rajadhyaksa96-688">Rajadhyaksa, 688</ref>

Hindi commercial cinema continued with films starring Rajesh Khanna such as Aradhana (1969), Sachaa Jhutha (1970), Haathi Mere Saathi (1971), Anand (1971), Kati Patang (1971) Amar Prem (1972), Dushman (1972) and Daag (1973).Template:Importance inline

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By the early 1970s, Hindi cinema was experiencing thematic stagnation,<ref name="raj">Template:Cite book</ref> dominated by musical romance films.<ref name="indianexpress2">Template:Cite news</ref> Screenwriter duo Salim–Javed (Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar) revitalised the industry.<ref name="raj" /> They established the genre of gritty, violent, Bombay underworld crime films with Zanjeer (1973) and Deewaar (1975).<ref name="ganti">Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> They reinterpreted the rural themes of Mother India and Gunga Jumna in an urban context reflecting 1970s India,<ref name="raj" /><ref name="legends">Template:Cite book</ref> channelling the growing discontent and disillusionment among the masses,<ref name="raj" /> unprecedented growth of slums<ref name="Mazumdar" /> and urban poverty, corruption and crime,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> as well as anti-establishment themes.<ref name="hindustantimes">Template:Cite news</ref> This resulted in their creation of the "angry young man", personified by Amitabh Bachchan,<ref name="hindustantimes" /> who reinterpreted Kumar's performance in Gunga Jumna<ref name="raj" /><ref name="legends" /> and gave a voice to the urban poor.<ref name="Mazumdar">Template:Cite book</ref> The women on the other hand were shown as ones who have adopted western values and outfits especially by heroines like Parveen Babi (who was featured on the cover of Time magazine for a story on Bollywood's success) and Zeenat Aman.

By the mid-1970s, Bachchan's position as a lead actor was solidified by crime-action films Zanjeer and Sholay (1975).<ref name="Rajadhyaksa96-688" /> The devotional classic Jai Santoshi Ma (1975) was made on a low budget and became a box office success and a cult classic.<ref name="Rajadhyaksa96-688" /> Another important film was Deewaar (1975, Yash Chopra),<ref name="Ganti" /> a crime film with brothers on opposite sides of the law which Danny Boyle described as "absolutely key to Indian cinema".<ref name="Kumar" />

The term "Bollywood" was coined in the 1970s,<ref name="collaco">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="khanna">Template:Cite web</ref> when the conventions of commercial Bombay-produced Hindi films were established.<ref name="Chaudhuri58">Template:Cite book</ref> Key to this was Nasir Hussain and Salim–Javed's creation of the masala film genre, which combines elements of action, comedy, romance, drama, melodrama and musical.<ref name="Chaudhuri58" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Their film Yaadon Ki Baarat (1973) has been identified as the first masala film and the first quintessentially Bollywood film.<ref name="Chaudhuri58" /><ref name="bhaumik">Kaushik Bhaumik, An Insightful Reading of Our Many Indian Identities, The Wire, 12 March 2016</ref> Masala films made Bachchan the biggest Bollywood movie star of the period. Another landmark was Amar Akbar Anthony (1977, Manmohan Desai).<ref name="bhaumik" /><ref name="Dwyer2005">Template:Cite book</ref> Desai further expanded the genre in the 1970s and 1980s.

Commercial Hindi cinema grew in the 1980s, with films such as Ek Duuje Ke Liye (1981), Disco Dancer (1982), Himmatwala (1983), Tohfa (1984), Naam (1986), Mr India (1987), and Tezaab (1988).

In the late 1980s,Template:Clarify timeframe Hindi cinema experienced another period of stagnation, with a decline in box office turnout, due to increasing violence, decline in musical melodic quality, and rise in video piracy, leading to middle-class family audiences abandoning theatres. The turning point came with Indian blockbuster Disco Dancer (1982) which began the era of disco music in Indian cinema. Lead actor Mithun Chakraborty and music director Bappi Lahiri had the highest number of mainstream Indian hit movies that decade. At the end of the decade, Yash Chopra's Chandni (1989) created a new formula for Bollywood musical romance films, reviving the genre and defining Hindi cinema in the years that followed. The film consolidated Sridevi's position as the biggest female star of the era.<ref name="iDiva">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Ray">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Commercial Hindi cinema grew in the late 1980s and 1990s, with the release of Mr. India (1987), Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988), Chaalbaaz (1989), Maine Pyar Kiya (1989), Lamhe (1991), Saajan (1991), Khuda Gawah (1992), Khalnayak (1993), Darr (1993),<ref name="Rajadhyaksa96-688" /> Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! (1994), Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge (1995), Dil To Pagal Hai (1997), Pyar Kiya Toh Darna Kya (1998) and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998). Cult classic Bandit Queen (1994) directed by Shekhar Kapur received international recognition and controversy.<ref>Arundhati Roy, Author-Activist Template:Webarchive india-today.com. Retrieved 16 June 2013</ref><ref>"The Great Indian Rape-Trick" Template:Webarchive, SAWNET – The South Asian Women's NETwork. Retrieved 25 November 2011</ref>

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Sridevi (2012) was regarded as the most popular female star in Indian cinema.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In the late 1990s, there was a resurgence of parallel cinema in Bollywood, largely due to the critical and commercial success of crime films such as Satya (1998) and Vaastav (1999). These films launched a genre known as "Mumbai noir",<ref name="Nayar">Template:Cite news</ref> reflecting social problems in the city.<ref name="Jungen">Template:Cite web</ref> Ram Gopal Varma directed the Indian Political Trilogy, and the Indian Gangster Trilogy; film critic Rajeev Masand had labelled the latter series as one of the "most influential movies of Bollywood.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="The Sunday Tribune - Spectrum">Template:Cite web</ref> The first instalment of the trilogy, Satya, was also listed in CNN-IBN's 100 greatest Indian films of all time.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Since the 1990s, the three biggest Bollywood movie stars have been the "Three Khans": Aamir Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, and Salman Khan.<ref name="desiblitz">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="forbes">Template:Cite web</ref> Combined, they starred in the top ten highest-grossing Bollywood films,<ref name="desiblitz" /> and have dominated the Indian box office since the 1990s.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Shah Rukh Khan was the most successful for most of the 1990s and 2000s, while Aamir Khan has been the most successful since the late 2000s;<ref name="forbes-2017-1-23">Template:Cite web</ref> according to Forbes, Shah Rukh Khan is "arguably the world's biggest movie star" as of 2017, due to his immense popularity in India and China.<ref name="aamir-forbes">Template:Cite web</ref> Other notable Hindi film stars of recent decades include Ajay Devgn, Akshay Kumar, Anil Kapoor, Hrithik Roshan, Sanjay Dutt, Sunil Shetty and Sunny Deol among males and Aishwarya Rai, Juhi Chawla, Karisma Kapoor, Kajol, Madhuri Dixit, Preity Zinta, Rani Mukerji, Raveena Tandon, Sridevi, Tabu.

Haider (2014, Vishal Bhardwaj), the third instalment of the Indian Shakespearean Trilogy after Maqbool (2003) and Omkara (2006),<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> won the People's Choice Award at the 9th Rome Film Festival in the Mondo Genere making it the first Indian film to achieve this honour.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>Template:Relevance inline

The 2000s and 2010s also saw the rise of a new generation of popular actors like Shahid Kapoor, Ranbir Kapoor, Ranveer Singh, Ayushmann Khurrana, Varun Dhawan, Sidharth Malhotra, Sushant Singh Rajput, Kartik Aaryan, Arjun Kapoor, Aditya Roy Kapur and Tiger Shroff, as well as actresses like Vidya Balan, Priyanka Chopra, Kareena Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, Kangana Ranaut, Deepika Padukone, Sonam Kapoor, Anushka Sharma, Shraddha Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Parineeti Chopra and Kriti Sanon with Balan, Ranaut and Bhatt gaining wide recognition for successful female-centric films such as The Dirty Picture (2011), Kahaani (2012), Queen (2014), Highway (2014), Tanu Weds Manu Returns (2015), Raazi (2018) and Gangubai Kathiawadi (2022).

Salim–Javed were highly influential in South Indian cinema. In addition to writing two Kannada films, many of their Bollywood films had remakes produced in other regions, including Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam cinema. While the Bollywood directors and producers held the rights to their films in Northern India, Salim–Javed retained the rights in South India, where they sold remake rights for films such as Zanjeer, Yaadon Ki Baarat and Don.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Several of these remakes became breakthroughs for actor Rajinikanth.<ref name="indianexpress2" /><ref name="Mint">Template:Cite news</ref>

Sridevi is widely regarded as the first female superstar of Indian cinema due to her pan-Indian appeal with equally successful careers in Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and Telugu cinema. She is the only Bollywood actor to have starred in a top 10 grossing film each year of her active career (1983–1997).Template:Citation needed

In 2024, regional film industries collectively accounted for around 60 % of India’s box office share, with Hindi cinema’s contribution falling to 40 %, reflecting a notable shift in audience preferences toward regional-language films including Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, and Gujarati cinema<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Telugu

K. V. Reddy's Mayabazar (1957) is a landmark film in Indian cinema, a classic of Telugu cinema that inspired generations of filmmakers. It blends myth, fantasy, romance and humour in a timeless story, captivating audiences with its fantastical elements. The film excelled in various departments like cast performances, production design, music, cinematography and is particularly revered for its use of technology.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The use of special effects, innovative for the 1950s, like the first illusion of moonlight, showcased technical brilliance.. Powerful performances and relatable themes ensure Mayabazar stays relevant, a classic enjoyed by new generations. On the centenary of Indian cinema in 2013, CNN-IBN included Mayabazar in its list of "100 greatest Indian films of all time".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In a poll conducted by CNN-IBN among those 100 films, Mayabazar was voted by the public as the "Greatest Indian film of all time".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

K. Viswanath, one of the prominent auteurs of Indian cinema, he received international recognition for his works, and is known for blending parallel cinema with mainstream cinema. His works such as Sankarabharanam (1980) about revitalisation of Indian classical music won the "Prize of the Public" at the Besançon Film Festival of France in the year 1981.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref> Forbes included J. V. Somayajulu's performance in the film on its list of "25 Greatest Acting Performances of Indian Cinema".<ref name=":1a">Template:Cite web</ref> Swathi Muthyam (1986) was India's official entry to the 59th Academy Awards.<ref name=":0" /> Swarna Kamalam (1988) the dance film choreographed by Kelucharan Mohapatra, and Sharon Lowen was featured at the Ann Arbor Film Festival, fetching three Indian Express Awards.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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B. Narsing Rao, K. N. T. Sastry, and A. Kutumba Rao garnered international recognition for their works in new-wave cinema.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Narsing Rao's Maa Ooru (1992) won the "Media Wave Award" of Hungary; Daasi (1988) and Matti Manushulu (1990) won the Diploma of Merit awards at the 16th and 17th MIFF respectively.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Sastry's Thilaadanam (2000) received "New Currents Award" at the 7th Busan;<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite press release</ref> Rajnesh Domalpalli's Vanaja (2006) won "Best First Feature Award" at the 57th Berlinale.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Ram Gopal Varma's Siva (1989), which attained cult following<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> introduced steadicams and new sound recording techniques to Indian films.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Siva attracted the young audience during its theatrical run, and its success encouraged filmmakers to explore a variety of themes and make experimental films.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Varma introduced road movie and film noir to Indian screen with Kshana Kshanam (1991).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Varma experimented with close-to-life performances by the lead actors, which bought a rather fictional storyline a sense of authenticity at a time when the industry was being filled with commercial fillers.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Singeetam Srinivasa Rao introduced time travel to the Indian screen with Aditya 369 (1991). The film dealt with exploratory dystopian and apocalyptic themes, taking the audience through a post-apocalyptic experience via time travel and folklore from 1526 CE, including a romantic subplot.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Singeetam Srinivasa Rao was inspired by the classic sci-fi novel The Time Machine.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Chiranjeevi's works such as the social drama film Swayamkrushi (1987), comedy thriller Chantabbai (1986), the vigilante thriller Kondaveeti Donga (1990),<ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Dead link</ref> the Western thriller Kodama Simham (1990), and the action thriller, Gang Leader (1991), popularised genre films with the highest estimated cinema footfalls.<ref name="gang_leader">Template:Cite news</ref> Sekhar Kammula's Dollar Dreams (2000), which explored the conflict between American dreams and human feelings, re-introduced social realism to Telugu film which had stagnated in formulaic commercialism.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> War drama Kanche (2015, Krish Jagarlamudi) explored the 1944 Nazi attack on the Indian army in the Italian campaign of the Second World War.<ref name="Hans India MR">Template:Cite web</ref>

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S.S Rajamouli has been described as "the biggest Indian film director ever" and "India's most significant director today".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Pan-Indian film is a term related to Indian cinema that originated with Telugu cinema as a mainstream commercial film appealing to audiences across the country with a spread to world markets.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> S. S. Rajamouli pioneered the pan-Indian films movement with duology of epic action films Baahubali: The Beginning (2015) and Baahubali 2: The Conclusion (2017), that changed the face of Indian cinema. Baahubali: The Beginning became the first Indian film to be nominated for American Saturn Awards.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It received national and international acclaim for Rajamouli's direction, story, visual effects, cinematography, themes, action sequences, music, and performances, and became a record-breaking box office success.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The sequel Baahubali 2 (2017) went on to win the American "Saturn Award for Best International Film" & emerged as the second-highest-grossing Indian film of all time.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

S.S Rajamouli followed up with the alternate historical film RRR (2022) that received universal critical acclaim for its direction, screenwriting, cast performances, cinematography, soundtrack, action sequences and VFX, which further consolidated the Pan-Indian film market. The film was considered one of the ten best films of the year by the National Board of Review, making it only the seventh non-English language film ever to make it to the list.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It also became the first Indian film by an Indian production to win an Academy Award.<ref name=":3">Template:Cite news</ref> The film went on to receive several other nominations at the Golden Globe Awards, Critics' Choice Movie Award including Best Foreign Language Film.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Films like Pushpa: The Rise, Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire and Kalki 2898 AD have further contributed to the pan-Indian film wave.

Actors like Prabhas, Allu Arjun, Ram Charan and N. T. Rama Rao Jr. enjoy a nationwide popularity among the audiences after the release of their respective Pan-Indian films. Film critics, journalists and analysts, such as Baradwaj Rangan and Vishal Menon, have labelled Prabhas as the "first legit Pan-Indian Superstar".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Hindi cinema has been remaking Telugu films since the late 1940s, some of which went on to become landmark films. Between 2000 and 2019, one in every three successful films made in Hindi was either a remake or part of a series. And most of the star actors, have starred in the hit remakes of Telugu films.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Tamil

Tamil cinema established Madras (now Chennai) as a secondary film production centre in India, used by Hindi cinema, other South Indian film industries, and Sri Lankan cinema.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Over the last quarter of the 20th century, Tamil films from India established a global presence through distribution to an increasing number of overseas theatres.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web

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Marupakkam (1991, K. S. Sethumadhavan) and Kanchivaram (2007) each won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film.<ref name="Baskaran2013">Template:Cite book</ref> Tamil films receive significant patronage in neighbouring Indian states Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat and New Delhi. In Kerala and Karnataka the films are directly released in Tamil but in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana they are generally dubbed into Telugu.<ref name="sify1">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Tamil films have had international success for decades. Since Chandralekha (1948), Muthu (1995) was the second Tamil film to be dubbed into Japanese (as Mutu: Odoru Maharaja<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>) and grossed a record $1.6 million in 1998.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2010, Enthiran grossed a record $4 million in North America.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Tamil-language films appeared at multiple film festivals. Kannathil Muthamittal (Ratnam), Veyyil (Vasanthabalan) and Paruthiveeran (Ameer Sultan), Kanchivaram (Priyadarshan) premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. Tamil films were submitted by India for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film on eight occasions.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Chennai-based music composer A. R. Rahman achieved global recognition with two Academy Awards and is nicknamed as "Isai Puyal" (musical storm) and "Mozart of Madras". Nayakan (1987, Kamal Haasan) was included in [[Time's All-Time 100 Movies|TimeTemplate:'s All-Time 100 Movies]] list.<ref>Nayakan, All-Time 100 Best Films, Time, 2005</ref>

Malayalam

File:Director of the film’Naalu Pennugal’ Adoor Gopalkrishnan addressing a press conference on November 29,2007 at IFFI, Panaji, Goa.jpg
Adoor Gopalakrishnan

Malayalam cinema experienced its Golden Age during this time with works of filmmakers such as Adoor Gopalakrishnan, G. Aravindan, T. V. Chandran and Shaji N. Karun.<ref name="malayalamcinema1">Template:Cite web</ref> Gopalakrishnan is often considered to be Ray's spiritual heir.<ref name="auto1">Template:Cite web</ref> He directed some of his most acclaimed films during this period, including Elippathayam (1981) which won the Sutherland Trophy at the London Film Festival.Template:Citation needed In 1984 My Dear Kuttichathan, directed by Jijo Punnoose under Navodaya Studio, was released and it was the first Indian film to be filmed in 3D format. Karun's debut film Piravi (1989) won the Caméra d'Or at Cannes, while his second film Swaham (1994) was in competition for the Palme d'Or. Vanaprastham was screened at the Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes Film Festival.Template:Citation needed Murali Nair's Marana Simhasanam (1999), inspired by the first execution by electrocution in India, the film was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival where it won the Caméra d'Or.<ref name="festival-cannes.com">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="rediff">Template:Cite web</ref> The film received special reception at the British Film Institute.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Fazil's Manichitrathazhu (1993), scripted by Madhu Muttam, is inspired by a tragedy that happened in an Ezhava tharavad of Alummoottil meda' (an old traditional house) located at Muttom, Alappuzha district, with a central Travancore Channar family, in the 19th century.<ref name="Mani01">Template:Cite book</ref> It was remade in four languages – in Kannada as Apthamitra, in Tamil as Chandramukhi , in Bengali as Rajmohol and in Hindi as Bhool Bhulaiyaa – all being commercially successful.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Jeethu Joseph's Drishyam (2013) was remade into four other Indian languages: Drishya (2014) in Kannada, Drushyam (2014) in Telugu, Papanasam (2015) in Tamil and Drishyam (2015) in Hindi. Internationally, it was remade in Sinhala language as Dharmayuddhaya (2017) and in Chinese as Sheep Without a Shepherd (2019), and also in Indonesian.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite tweet</ref><ref name="The Times of India">Template:Cite news</ref>

Kannada

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Ethnographic works took prominence such as B. V. Karanth's Chomana Dudi (1975), (based on Chomana Dudi by Shivaram Karanth), Girish Karnad's Kaadu (1973), (based on Kaadu by Srikrishna Alanahalli), Pattabhirama Reddy's Samskara (1970) (based on Samskara by U. R. Ananthamurthy), fetching the Bronze Leopard at Locarno International Film Festival,<ref name="1nellore.com">Template:Cite web</ref> and T. S. Nagabharana's Mysuru Mallige (based on the works of poet K. S. Narasimhaswamy).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Girish Kasaravalli's Ghatashraddha (1977), won the Ducats Award at the Manneham Film Festival Germany,<ref name="auto">Template:Cite web</ref> Dweepa (2002), made to Best Film at Moscow International Film Festival,<ref name="The Hindu">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="awa">Template:Cite web</ref>

Prashanth Neel's K.G.F (2018, 2022) is a period action series based on the Kolar Gold Fields.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Set in the late 1970s and early 1980s the series follows Raja Krishnappa Bairya aka Rocky (Yash), a Mumbai-based high ranking mercenary born in poverty, to his rise to power in the Kolar Gold Fields and the subsequent uprising as one of the biggest gangster and businessman at that time.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="newsable.asianetnews.com">Template:Cite web</ref> The film gathered cult following becoming the highest-grossing Kannada film.<ref name="kgf12">Template:Citation</ref> Rishab Shetty's Kantara (2022), received acclaim for showcasing the Bhoota Kola, a native Ceremonial dance performance prevalent among the Hindus of coastal Karnataka.<ref>Template:Cite newsTemplate:Dead link</ref>

Marathi

Marathi cinema also known as Marathi film industry, is a film industry based in Mumbai, Maharashtra. It is the oldest film industry of India. The first Marathi movie, Raja Harishchandra of Dadasaheb Phalke was made in 1912, released in 1913 in Girgaon, it was a silent film with Marathi-English intertitles made with full Marathi actors and crew, after the film emerged successful, Phalke made many movies on Hindu mythology.

In 1932, the first sound film, Ayodhyecha Raja was released, just five years after 1st Hollywood sound film The Jazz Singer (1927). The first Marathi film in colour, Pinjara (1972), was made by V. Shantaram. In 1960sTemplate:En dash70s movies was based on rural, social subjects with drama and humour genre, Nilu Phule was prominent villain that time. In 1980s, M. Kothare and Sachin Pilgaonkar made many hit movies on thriller, and comedy genre respectively. Ashok Saraf and Laxmikant Berde starred in many of these and emerged as top actors. Mid-2000s onwards, the industry frequently made hit movies.<ref name="IT-2017" /><ref name=":1" /><ref name="Goldsmith" />

Cultural context

File:Victoria Public Hall, Chennai.JPG
Victoria Public Hall, Chennai, served as a theatre in the late 19th century and the early 20th century.
File:Imax theater hyderabad.jpg
Prasads IMAX Theatre, Hyderabad, was once the world's largest 3D-IMAX screen and the most attended screen in the world.<ref name="CNN Travel">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="The Hindu Newspaper">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="gizmodo.com">Template:Cite web</ref>
File:Ramoji 14.jpg
Ramoji Film City, Hyderabad, is the world's largest film studio.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

K. Moti Gokulsing and Wimal Dissanayake identified six major influences that have shaped Indian popular cinema:<ref name="Gokulsing">Template:Cite book</ref>

  • The ancient epics of Mahabharata and Ramayana influenced the narratives of Indian cinema. Examples of this influence include the techniques of a side story, back-story and story within a story. Indian popular films often have plots that branch into sub-plots; such narrative dispersals can be seen in the 1993 films Khalnayak and Gardish.
  • Ancient Sanskrit drama, with its emphasis on spectacle, music, dance and gesture combined "to create a vibrant artistic unit with dance and mime being central to the dramatic experience". Sanskrit dramas were known as natya, derived from the root word Template:Transliteration (dance), featuring spectacular dance-dramas.<ref name="Gokulsing-98" /> The Rasa method of performance, dating to ancient times, is one of the fundamental features that differentiate Indian from Western cinema. In the Rasa method, the performer conveys emotions to the audience through empathy, in contrast to the Western Stanislavski method where the actor must become "a living, breathing embodiment of a character". The rasa method is apparent in the performances of Hindi actors such as Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan and in Hindi films such as Rang De Basanti (2006),<ref name="Jones">Template:Cite journal</ref> and Ray's works.<ref name="Cooper 2000 1-4">Template:Cite book</ref>
  • Traditional folk theatre, which became popular around the 10th century with the decline of Sanskrit theatre. These regional traditions include the Yatra of West Bengal, the Ramlila of Uttar Pradesh, Yakshagana of Karnataka, 'Chindu Natakam' of Andhra Pradesh and the Terukkuttu of Tamil Nadu.
  • Parsi theatre, which blends realism and fantasy, containing crude humour, songs and music, sensationalism, and dazzling stagecraft.<ref name="Gokulsing-98">Template:Cite book</ref> These influences are clearly evident in masala films such as Coolie (1983), and to an extent in more recent critically acclaimed films such as Rang De Basanti.<ref name=Jones/>
  • Hollywood-made popular musicals from the 1920s through the 1960s, though Indian films used musical sequences as another fantasy element in the song-and-dance tradition of narration, undisguised and "intersect[ing] with people's day-to-day lives in compelex and interesting ways."<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
  • Western music videos, particularly MTV, had an increasing influence in the 1990s, as can be seen in the pace, camera angles, dance sequences, and music of recent Indian films. An early example of this approach was Bombay (1995, Mani Ratnam).<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Sharmistha Gooptu and Bhaumik identify Indo-Persian/Islamicate culture as another major influence. In the early 20th century, Urdu was the lingua franca of popular performances across northern India, established in performance art traditions such as nautch dancing, Urdu poetry and Parsi theatre. Urdu and related Hindi dialects were the most widely understood across northern India, thus Hindustani became the standardised language of early Indian talkies. One Thousand and One Nights (Arabian Nights) had a strong influence on Parsi theatre, which adapted "Persianate adventure-romances" into films, and on early Bombay cinema where "Arabian Nights cinema" became a popular genre.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Like mainstream Indian popular cinema, Indian parallel cinema was influenced by a combination of Indian theatre and Indian literature (such as Bengali literature and Urdu poetry), but differs when it comes to foreign influences, where it is influenced more by European cinema (particularly Italian neorealism and French poetic realism) than by Hollywood. Ray cited Vittorio De Sica's Bicycle Thieves (1948) and Jean Renoir's The River (1951), on which he assisted, as influences on his debut film Pather Panchali (1955).

International influence

Template:See also During colonial rule, Indians bought film equipment from Europe.<ref name="Burra&Rao252-253" /> The British funded wartime propaganda films during the Second World War, some of which showed the Indian army pitted against the Axis powers, specifically the Empire of Japan, which had managed to infiltrate India.<ref name="Velayutham174">Velayutham, 174</ref> One such story was Burma Rani, which depicted civilian resistance to Japanese occupation by British and Indian forces in Myanmar.<ref name=Velayutham174/> Pre-independence businessmen such as J. F. Madan and Abdulally Esoofally traded in global cinema.<ref name="Burra&Rao253" />

Early Indian films made early inroads into the Soviet Union, Middle East, Southeast Asia<ref name="Desai38">Desai, 38</ref> and China. Mainstream Indian movie stars gained international fame across Asia<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Eastern Europe.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> For example, Indian films were more popular in the Soviet Union than Hollywood films<ref name="Rajagopalan2005">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="moscow">Moscow Prime Time: How the Soviet Union Built the Media Empire that Lost the Cultural Cold War, page 44, Cornell University Press, 2011</ref> and occasionally domestic Soviet films.<ref name="ManschotVos2005">Template:Cite book</ref> From 1954 to 1991, 206 Indian films were sent to the Soviet Union, drawing higher average audience figures than domestic Soviet productions,<ref name="moscow" /><ref name="KalinovskyDaigle2014">Template:Cite book</ref> Films such as Awaara and Disco Dancer drew more than 60 million viewers.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="hindu_russia">Template:Cite news</ref> Films such as Awaara, 3 Idiots and Dangal,<ref name="aamir">How To Become A Foreign Movie Star In China: Aamir Khan's 5-Point Formula For Success, Forbes, 11 June 2017</ref><ref name="firstpost">Template:Cite web</ref> were among the 20 highest-grossing films in China.<ref name="forbes9">'Dangal' Makes More History In China, Joins List Of All-Time 20 Biggest Box Office Hits, Forbes, 9 June 2017</ref>

Many Asian and South Asian countries increasingly found Indian cinema more suited to their sensibilities than Western cinema.<ref name=Desai38/> Jigna Desai holds that by the 21st century, Indian cinema had become 'deterritorialised', spreading to parts of the world where Indian expatriates were present in significant numbers and had become an alternative to other international cinema.<ref name="Desai37">Desai, 37</ref>

Indian films frequently appeared in international fora and film festivals.<ref name=Desai38/> This allowed parallel Bengali filmmakers to achieve worldwide fame.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Indian cinema more recently began influencing Western musical films, and played a particularly instrumental role in the revival of the genre in the Western world. Ray's work had a worldwide impact, with filmmakers such as Martin Scorsese,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> James Ivory,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Abbas Kiarostami, François Truffaut,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Carlos Saura,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Isao Takahata and Gregory Nava<ref name="The Statesman">Template:Cite web</ref> citing his influence, and others such as Akira Kurosawa praising his work.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The "youthful coming-of-age dramas that flooded art houses since the mid-fifties owe a tremendous debt to the Apu trilogy", according to the film critic Michael Sragow.<ref name="Sragow" /> Since the 1980s, overlooked Indian filmmakers such as Ghatak<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> and Dutt<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> posthumously gained international acclaim. Baz Luhrmann stated that his successful musical film Moulin Rouge! (2001) was directly inspired by Bollywood musicals.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> That film's success renewed interest in the then-moribund Western musical genre, subsequently fuelling a renaissance.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire (2008) was directly inspired by Indian films,<ref name="Kumar">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Age">Template:Cite news</ref> and is considered to be an "homage to Hindi commercial cinema".<ref name="autogenerated1">Template:Cite news</ref>

Indian cinema has been recognised repeatedly at the US-based Academy Awards. Indian films Mother India (1957), Salaam Bombay! (1988) and Lagaan (2001), were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Indian Oscar winners include Bhanu Athaiya (costume designer), Ray (filmmaker), A. R. Rahman (music composer), Resul Pookutty (sound editor) and Gulzar (lyricist), M. M. Keeravani (music composer), Chandrabose (lyricist) Cottalango Leon and Rahul Thakkar Sci-Tech Award.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Genres and styles

Masala film

Template:Main Masala is a style of Indian cinema that mixes multiple genres in one work, pioneered in the early 1970s Bollywood by filmmaker Nasir Hussain,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Chaudhuri"/><ref name="bhaumik"/> For example, one film can portray action, comedy, drama, romance and melodrama. These films tend to be musicals with songs filmed in picturesque locations. Plots for such movies may seem illogical and improbable to unfamiliar viewers. The genre is named after masala, a mixture of spices in Indian cuisine.

Parallel cinema

Template:Main Parallel cinema, also known as art cinema or the Indian New Wave, is known for its realism and naturalism, addressing the sociopolitical climate. This movement is distinct from mainstream Bollywood cinema and began around the same time as the French and Japanese New Waves. The movement began in Bengal (led by Ray, Sen and Ghatak) and then gained prominence in other regions. The movement was launched by Bimal Roy's Do Bigha Zamin (1953), which was both a commercial and critical success, winning the International Prize at Cannes.<ref name="filmreference" /><ref name="Srikanth Srinivasan">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Ray's films include the three instalments of The Apu Trilogy which won major prizes at the Cannes, Berlin and Venice Film Festivals, and are frequently listed among the greatest films of all time.<ref name="villagevoice">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Time">Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref name="bfipoll">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="nytimes">"The Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made". by the Film Critics of The New York Times, 2002.</ref>

Other neo-realist filmmakers were Shyam Benegal, Karun, Gopalakrishnan<ref name="Gokulsing-18" /> and Kasaravalli.<ref name="Gokulsing&Dissanayake132">Gokulsing & Dissanayake, 132</ref>

Multilingual

Template:Main Some Indian films are known as "multilinguals", filmed in similar but non-identical versions, in different languages. Chittoor Nagayya, was one of the first multilingual filmmakers in India.<ref name="hindu.com">Template:Cite news</ref> Alam Ara and Kalidas are earliest examples of bilingual filmmaking in India. According to Ashish Rajadhyaksha and Paul Willemen in the Encyclopedia of Indian Cinema (1994), in its most precise form, a multilingual is

Template:Blockquote

Rajadhyaksha and Willemen note that in seeking to construct their Encyclopedia, they often found it "extremely difficult to distinguish multilinguals in this original sense from dubbed versions, remakes, reissues or, in some cases, the same film listed with different titles, presented as separate versions in different languages ... it will take years of scholarly work to establish definitive data in this respect".<ref name=eic1994/>Template:Rp

Pan-India film

Template:Main Pan-India is a term related to Indian cinema that originated with Telugu cinema as a mainstream commercial cinema appealing to audiences across the country with a spread to world markets. S. S. Rajamouli pioneered the Pan-Indian films movement with his duology of epic action films Baahubali: The Beginning (2015) and Baahubali 2: The Conclusion (2017).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> "Pan-India film" is both a style of cinema and a distribution strategy, designed to universally appeal to audiences across the country and simultaneously released in multiple languages.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Music

Template:See also

Music and songs are a big part of Indian cinema and it's not just for entertainment but they play a crucial role in storytelling. Music and dance are a core part of Indian culture, and films weave them in to tell the story. Songs are used to express emotions that spoken dialogue might struggle to convey. Songs often used to move the plot forward. Lyrics might reveal a character's inner thoughts, motivations, or foreshadow future events. Sometimes the song itself can become a turning point in the story. While some may find them disruptive, songs remain a deeply rooted tradition in Indian cinema, reflecting both its culture and what audiences love.

Music is a substantial revenue generator for the Indian film industry, with music rights alone accounting for 4–5% of net revenues.<ref name="Potts75">Potts, 75</ref> The major film music companies are T-Series at Delhi, Sony Music India at Chennai and Zee Music Company at Mumbai, Aditya Music at Hyderabad and Saregama at Kolkata.<ref name="Potts75" /> Film music accounts for 48% of net music sales in the country.<ref name="Potts75" /> A typical film may feature 5–6 choreographed songs.<ref name="Thompson">Thompson, 74</ref>

The demands of a multicultural, increasingly globalised Indian audience led to a mixing of local and international musical traditions.<ref name="Thompson" /> Local dance and music remain a recurring theme in India and followed the Indian diaspora.<ref name="Thompson" /> Playback singers such as Mohammad Rafi, Lata Mangeshkar, Kishore Kumar, Asha Bhosle, Mukesh, S. Janaki, P. Susheela, K. J. Yesudas, S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, K. S. Chithra, Anuradha Paudwal, Kavita Krishnamurthy, Alka Yagnik, Sadhana Sargam, Shreya Ghoshal ,Sunidhi Chauhan, Kumar Sanu, Udit Narayan, Abhijeet and Sonu Nigam drew crowds to presentations of film music.<ref name="Thompson" /> In the 21st century interaction increased between Indian artists and others.Template:Specify<ref name="Zumkhawala-Cook312">Zumkhawala-Cook, 312</ref>

In 2023, the song "Naatu Naatu" composed by M. M. Keeravani for the movie RRR won the Oscar for Best Original Song at the 95th Academy Awards, making it the first song from an Indian film, as well as the first from an Asian film, to win in this category. This made it the first Indian film by an Indian production to win an Academy Award.<ref name=":3" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Filming locations

A filming location is any place where acting and dialogue are recorded. Sites where filming without dialogue takes place are termed a second unit photography site. Filmmakers often choose to shoot on location because they believe that greater realism can be achieved in a "real" place. Location shooting is often motivated by budget considerations.Template:Citation needed span

The most popular locations for filming in India are the main cities of their state for regional industry. Other locations include Manali and Shimla in Himachal Pradesh; Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir; Ladakh; Darjeeling in West Bengal; Ooty and Kodaikanal in Tamil Nadu; Amritsar in Punjab; Udaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer and Jaipur in Rajasthan; Delhi; Ottapalam in Kerala; Goa and Puducherry.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Production companies

Template:Main More than 1000 production organisations operate in the Indian film industry, but few are successful. AVM Productions is the oldest surviving studio in India. Other major production houses include Yash Raj Films, K Sera Sera Virtual Productions, Vyjayanthi Movies, T-Series, Aamir Khan Productions, Lyca Productions, Madras Talkies, AGS Entertainment, Sun Pictures, Red Chillies Entertainment, Arka Media Works, Dharma Productions, Eros International, Sri Venkateswara Creations, Ajay Devgn FFilms, Balaji Motion Pictures, UTV Motion Pictures, Raaj Kamal Films International, Hombale Films, Aashirvad Cinemas, Wunderbar Films, Cape of Good Films, Mythri Movie Makers, Maddock Films and Geetha Arts.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Cinema by language

Films are made in many cities and regions in India including Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Assam, Bengal, Bihar, Gujarat, Haryana, Jammu, Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Goa, Kerala, Maharashtra, Manipur, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Tripura and Mizoram. Template:Pie chart

Breakdown by languages
April 2021Template:En dashFebruary 2022 Indian feature films certified by the Central Board of Film Certification by languages.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Note: This table indicates the number of films certified by the CBFC's regional offices in nine cities. The actual number of films produced may be less.
Language No. of films
Hindi 468
Telugu 438
Kannada 381
Tamil 377
Malayalam 355
Bhojpuri 222
Marathi 136
Bengali 111
Gujarati 82
Odia 74
Punjabi 53
Hindustani 33
Manipuri 27
Urdu 27
Assamese 24
English 13
Chhattisgarhi 12
Awadhi 8
Tulu 6
Banjara 5
Maithili 4
Rajasthani 4
Sanskrit 4
Konkani 3
Nagpuri 2
Nepali 2
Kodava 2
Haryanvi 2
Beary 1
Garhwali 1
Himachali 1
Kurumba 1
Hajong 1
Irula 1
Khasi 1
Magahi 1
Mising 1
Rabha 1
Silent 1
Total 2886

Assamese

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File:A scene from Joymoti (1935 film).jpg
Joymati, 1935

The Assamese-language film industry is based in Assam in northeastern India. It is sometimes called Jollywood, for the Jyoti Chitraban Film Studio. Some films have been well received by critics but they have not yet captured national audiences. The 21st century has produced Hollywood and Bollywood-style Assamese movies which have set new box office records for the small industry.<ref>Lakshmi B. Ghosh, A rare peep into the world of Assamese cinema The Hindu: New Delhi News: A rare peep into the world of Assamese cinema, The Hindu, 2006</ref>

Bengali

File:Dena paona 1931.jpg
A scene from Dena Paona (1931), the first Bengali talkie

Template:Main The Bengali-language cinematic tradition of Tollygunge, West Bengal, is also known as Tollywood.<ref name="Gokulsing&Dissanayake138">Gokulsing & Dissanayake, 138</ref> When the term was coined in the 1930s, it was the centre of the Indian film industry.<ref name="Sarkar">Template:Cite journal</ref> West Bengal cinema is historically known for the parallel cinema movement and art films.

Braj Bhasha

Braj-language films present Brij culture mainly to rural people, predominantly in the nebulous Braj region centred around Mathura, Agra, Aligarh and Hathras in Western Uttar Pradesh and Bharatpur and Dholpur in Rajasthan (northern India). It is the predominant language in the central stretch of the Ganges-Yamuna Doab in Uttar Pradesh. The first Brij Bhasha movie was Brij Bhoomi (1982, Shiv Kumar), which was a success throughout the country.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Later Brij Bhasha cinema saw the production of films like Jamuna Kinare and Brij Kau Birju.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Bhojpuri

Template:Main Bhojpuri-language films predominantly cater to residents of western Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh and also have a large audience in Delhi and Mumbai due to the migration of Bhojpuri speakers to these cities. International markets for these films developed in other Bhojpuri-speaking countries of the West Indies, Oceania and South America.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Bhojpuri film history begins with Ganga Maiyya Tohe Piyari Chadhaibo (Mother Ganges, I will offer you a yellow sari, 1962, Kundan Kumar).<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Throughout the following decades, few films were produced. The industry experienced a revival beginning with the hit Saiyyan Hamar (My Sweetheart, 2001, Mohan Prasad).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Although smaller than other Indian film industries, these successes increased Bhojpuri cinema's visibility, leading to an awards show<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and a trade magazine, Bhojpuri City.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Chakma

Template:Main The Chakma language is spoken in Tripura and Mizoram (Northeast India), as well as in the Chittagong Hill Tracts region of Bangladesh. Films in Chakma include Tanyabi Firti (Tanyabi's Lake, 2005, Satarupa Sanyal).<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref>

Chhattisgarhi

Template:Main The Chhattisgarhi-language film industry of Chhattisgarhi state, central India, is known as Chhollywood. Its beginnings are with Kahi Debe Sandesh (In Black and White, 1965, Manu Nayak)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> No Chhattisgarhi films were released from 1971<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> until Mor Chhainha Bhuinya (2000).Template:Citation needed

English

Template:Main Indian filmmakers also produce English language films. Deepa Mehta, Anant Balani, Homi Adajania, Vijay Singh, Vierendrra Lalit and Sooni Taraporevala have garnered recognition in Indian English cinema.

Gujarati

Template:Main The Gujarati-language film industry, also known as Gollywood or Dhollywood, is currently centered in the state of Gujarat. During the silent era, many filmmakers and actors were Gujarati and Parsi, and their films were closely related to Gujarati culture. Twenty film companies and studios, mostly located in Bombay, were owned by Gujaratis and at least 44 major Gujarati directors worked during this era.<ref name="Ro2013">Template:Cite book</ref> The first film released in Gujarati was Narsinh Mehta (1932).<ref name="Ro2013" /><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> More than one thousand Gujarati films have been released.<ref name="Thou2011">Template:Cite news</ref>

Gujarati cinema ranges from mythology to history and from social to political. Gujarati films originally targeted a rural audience, but after its revival (Template:Circa) catered to an urban audience.<ref name="Ro2013" />

Hindi

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Amitabh Bachchan has been a popular Bollywood actor for over 45 years.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The Hindi language film industry of Mumbai (formerly Bombay), also known as Bollywood,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> is the largest and most powerful branch of Hindi cinema.<ref>Template:Cite bookTemplate:Cite book</ref> Hindi cinema explores issues of caste and culture in films such as Achhut Kanya (1936) and Sujata (1959).<ref name="Gokulsing&Dissanayake10-11">Gokulsing & Dissanayake, 10–11</ref> International visibility came to the industry with Raj Kapoor's Awara and later in Shakti Samantha's Aradhana.<ref name="Gokulsing&Dissanayake10">Gokulsing & Dissanayake, 10</ref> Art film directors include Kaul, Kumar Shahani, Ketan Mehta, Govind Nihalani, Shyam Benegal,<ref name="Gokulsing-18" /> Mira Nair, Nagesh Kukunoor, Sudhir Mishra and Nandita Das. Hindi cinema grew during the 1990s with the release of as many as 215 films annually. Magazines such as Filmfare, Stardust and Cine Blitz popularly cover the industry.<ref name="Gokulsing&Dissanayake11">Gokulsing & Dissanayake, 11</ref>

Kannada

Template:Main Kannada cinema, also known as Sandalwood or Chandanavana,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> is the segment of Indian cinema<ref name="deccanherald.com">Template:Cite web</ref> dedicated to the production of motion pictures in the Kannada language, which is widely spoken in Karnataka state.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Sati Sulochana (1934, Y. V. Rao) was the first talkie film in the Kannada language.<ref name="Rediff">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Kannada films include adaptations of major literary works<ref name="1nellore.com"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and experimental films.<ref name="auto"/> Template:Multiple image

Kokborok

Template:Main Kokborok-language films are mainly produced in Tripura and parts of Bangladesh. These films are also clubbed as 'Tripuri cinema' as a blanket term that alludes to the film industry of Tripura, encompassing films made by and for the people of Tripura and Kokborok speaking people in Bangladesh, regardless of the multitude of languages in which cinema is produced in the region'.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

Konkani

Template:Main Konkani-language films are mainly produced in Goa, one of India's smallest film regions which produced four films in 2009.<ref name="CBFC-ANR2009">Template:Cite web</ref> The first full-length Konkani film was Mogacho Anvddo (1950, Jerry Braganza).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The film's release date, 24 April, is celebrated as Konkani Film Day.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> An immense body of Konkani literature and art is a resource for filmmakers. Kazar (Marriage, 2009, Richard Castelino) and Ujvaadu (Shedding New Light on Old Age Issues, Kasaragod Chinna) are major releases. The pioneering Mangalorean Konkani film is Mog Ani Maipas.

Maithili

Template:Category see also Maithili cinema is made in the Maithili language. The first full-length film was Kanyadan (1965).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> There are numerous films made in the Maithili over the years<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The film Mithila Makhaan (2019) won a National Award in the regional films category.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Malayalam

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File:ActorMammootty.jpg
Mammooty has won the most number of National Awards in the Best Actor category in the Malayalam industry.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The Malayalam-language film industry, also known as Mollywood, is India's fourth-largest film industry. It is mainly based at Kochi, Kerala state. Neelakkuyil (1954) was one of the first Malayalam films to get national recognition.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Newspaper Boy (1955), made by a group of students, was the first neo-realistic Malayalam film.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Chemmeen (1965, Ramu Kariat), based on a story by Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai, became the first South Indian film to win the National Film Award for Best Feature Film.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Malayalam cinema has been in the forefront of technological innovation in Indian filmmaking. The first neorealistic film (Newspaper Boy),<ref name="malayalamcinema1"/> the first CinemaScope film (Thacholi Ambu),<ref name="Archives.chennaionline.com">Template:Cite web</ref> the first 70 mm film (Padayottam),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> the first 3D film (My Dear Kuttichathan),<ref name="thssk">Template:Cite web</ref> the first Panavision film (Vanaprastham), the first digital film (Moonnamathoral),<ref name="cinemaofmalayalam.net">History of Malayalam Cinema Template:Webarchive. Cinemaofmalayalam.net. Retrieved on 29 July 2013.</ref> the first Smartphone film (Jalachhayam),<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and the first 8K film (Villain)Template:Citation needed in India were made in Malayalam.

The period from 1986 to 1990 is regarded as the Golden Age of Malayalam cinema,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> with four Malayalam films recognised by selection at the Cannes Film Festival—Shaji N. Karun-directed Piravi (1989), Swaham (1994) and Vanaprastham (1999), and Murali Nair-directed Marana Simhasanam (1999). Piravi (1989) won the Caméra d'Or — Mention Spéciale and Marana Simhasanam has won the Caméra d'Or.Template:Citation needed

The Kerala State Film Awards established by the Government of Kerala recognises the best works in Malayalam cinema every year, along with J. C. Daniel Award for lifetime achievement in Malayalam cinema. K. R. Narayanan National Institute of Visual Science and Arts (KRNNIVSA) is a training and research centre for film and video technology.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Manipuri

Template:Main Manipuri cinema is a small film industry of Manipur, encompassing Meitei language and other languages of the state. It began in the 1970s and gained momentum following a 2002 state ban on Hindi films. 80–100 movies are made each year. Among the notable Manipuri films are Imagi Ningthem (1982, Aribam Syam Sharma), Ishanou, Yenning Amadi Likla, Phijigee Mani, Leipaklei, Loktak Lairembee, Eikhoishibu Kanano, Eikhoigi Yum and Oneness.

Marathi

Template:Main Marathi films are produced in the Marathi language in Maharashtra state. It the oldest of India's film industries, which began in Kolhapur, moved to Pune and is now based in old Mumbai.<ref name="Goldsmith">Template:Cite book</ref>

Some of the more notable films are Sangtye Aika, Ek Gaon Bara Bhangadi, Pinjara, Sinhasan, Pathlaag, Jait Re Jait, Saamana, Santh Wahate Krishnamai, Sant Tukaram and Shyamchi Aai.Template:Citation needed

Nagpuri

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Nagpuri films are produced in the Nagpuri language in Jharkhand state. The first Nagpuri feature film was Sona Kar Nagpur (1992).<ref name="Hindustan times.com">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> With a mainly rural population and cinema halls closing, non-traditional distribution models may be used.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Gorkha

Gorkha cinema consists of films produced by Nepali-speaking Indians.

Odia

Template:Main The Odia-language film industry of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, Odisha state, is also known as Ollywood.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The first Odia-language film was Sita Bibaha (1936).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The best year for Odia cinema was 1984 when Maya Miriga (Nirad Mohapatra) and Dhare Alua were showcased in Indian Panorama and Maya Miriga was invited to Critics Week at Cannes. The film received the Best Third World Film award at Mannheim Film Festival, Jury Award in Hawaii and was shown at the London Film Festival.

Punjabi

Template:Main The Punjabi-language film industry, based in Amritsar and Mohali, Punjab, is also known as Pollywood. K. D. Mehra made the first Punjabi film, Sheela (1935). As of 2009, Punjabi cinema had produced between 900 and 1,000 movies.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Rajasthani

Template:Main The cinema of Rajasthan (Rajjywood) refers to films produced in Rajasthan in north-western India. These films are produced in various regional and tribal languages including Rajasthani varieties such as Mewari, Marwari, Hadoti etc.

Sindhi

Template:Main The Sindhi-language film industry is largely based in Sindh, Pakistan, and with Sindhi speakers in North Gujarat and Southwestern Rajasthan, India, and elsewhere among the Sindhi diaspora. The first Indian-made Sindhi film was Ekta (1940).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> while the first Sindhi film produced in Pakistan was Umar Marvi (1956).<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> The industry has produced some Bollywood-style films.

The Sindhi film industry produces movies at intervals. The first was Abana (1958), which was a success throughout the country. Sindhi cinema then produced some Bollywood-style films such as Hal Ta Bhaji Haloon, Parewari, Dil Dije Dil Waran Khe, Ho Jamalo, Pyar Kare Dis: Feel the Power of Love and The Awakening. Numerous Sindhi have contributed in Bollywood, including G P Sippy, Ramesh Sippy, Nikkhil Advani, Tarun Mansukhani, Ritesh Sidhwani and Asrani.

Sherdukpen

Director Songe Dorjee Thongdok introduced the first Sherdukpen-language film Crossing Bridges (2014). Sherdukpen is native to the north-eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>Template:Relevance inline

Tamil

Template:Main The Tamil-language film industry based in Chennai, also known as Kollywood, once served as a hub for all South Indian film industries.<ref name="Kasbekar2006">Template:Cite book</ref> The first South Indian talkie film Kalidas (1931, H. M. Reddy) was shot in Tamil. Sivaji Ganesan became India's first actor to receive an international award when he won Best Actor at the Afro-Asian film festival in 1960 and the title of Chevalier in the Legion of Honour by the French Government in 1995.<ref name="Sivaji Ganesan's birth anniversary">Template:Cite news</ref>

Tamil cinema is influenced by Dravidian politics<ref name="Gokulsing&Dissanayake132-33">Gokulsing & Dissanayake, 132–133</ref> and has a tradition of addressing social issues. Many of Tamil Nadu's prominent Chief Ministers previously worked in cinema: Dravidian stalwarts C N Annadurai and M Karunanidhi were scriptwriters and M G Ramachandran and Jayalalithaa gained a political base through their fan followings.<ref name="Kasbekar 2006 215">Template:Cite book</ref>

Tamil films are distributed to Tamil diaspora populations in various parts of Asia, Southern Africa, Northern America, Europe, and Oceania.<ref name="Gokulsing&Dissanayake133">Gokulsing & Dissanayake, 133</ref> The industry-inspired Tamil film-making in Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore and Canada.Template:Citation needed

Telugu

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The Film and Television Institute of Telangana, Film and Television Institute of Andhra Pradesh, Ramanaidu Film School and Annapurna International School of Film and Media are among the largest film schools in India.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Telugu states are home to approximately 2800 theatres, more than any single state in India.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Being commercially consistent, Telugu cinema had its influence over commercial cinema in India.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The industry holds the Guinness World Record for the largest film production facility in the world, Ramoji Film City.<ref name="ramoji">Template:Cite web</ref> The Prasads IMAX located in Hyderabad is one of the largest 3D IMAX screens, and is the most attended cinema screen in the world.<ref name="CNN Travel"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> As per the CBFC report of 2014, the industry is placed first in India, in terms of films produced yearly.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In the years 2005, 2006, 2008, and 2014 the industry has produced the largest number of films in India, exceeding the number of films produced in Bollywood.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Blonnet.com">Template:Cite web</ref>

Tulu

Template:Main The Tulu-language film industry based in the port city of Mangalore, Karnataka, is also known as Coastalwood. A small industry, its origins trace to the release of Enna Thangadi (1971) with about one release per year until growth was spurred by the commercial success of Oriyardori Asal (2011). Films are released across the Tulu Nadu cultural region, with some recent films having a simultaneous release in Mumbai, Bangalore, and Arabian Gulf countries.Template:Citation needed

Exhibition and distribution

Template:Further PVR INOX, Cinepolis India etc. are some of the top multiplexes chains in India, which have cinemas across the nation. Book My Show and District are the leading online booking platforms in India. They have tie-ups with multiplexes and other cinemas. However, PVR INOX and Cinepolis India also sell tickets through their applications and websites. Due to the convenience in booking tickets, online most of the viewers pre-book tickets through mobile application. Since the advancement of internet service in India, online ticket selling business have had robust growth in the country.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Since 2010, OTT platforms have gained popularity in India, thus some film-makers prefer to release their films online through OTT platforms like Netflix, WFCN, Amazon Prime, JioHotstar, SonyLIV, ZEE5, etc. and avoid a theatrical release.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Awards

The Dadasaheb Phalke Award, named for "father of Indian cinema" Dadasaheb Phalke,<ref name="thecolorsofindia1">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="google1">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="indiatimes1">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="vilanilam128">Template:Cite book</ref> is given in recognition of lifetime contribution to cinema. It was established by the government of India in 1969, and is the country's most prestigious film award.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Prominent government-sponsored film awards
Award Year of
inception
Awarded by
Bengal Film Journalists' Association Awards 1937 Government of West Bengal
National Film Awards 1954 Government of India
Maharashtra State Film Awards 1963 Government of Maharashtra
Nandi Awards 1964 Government of Andhra Pradesh
Tamil Nadu State Film Awards 1967 Government of Tamil Nadu
Karnataka State Film Awards 1967 Government of Karnataka
Odisha State Film Awards 1968 Government of Odisha
Kerala State Film Awards 1969 Government of Kerala
Gaddar Telangana Film Awards 2025 Government of Telangana
Prominent non-governmental awards
Award Year of
inception
Awarded by
Bhojpuri Film Awards 2001 AB5 Multimedia
Sabrang Film Awards 2014 Godrej Consumer Products
International Bhojpuri Film Awards 2015 Yashi Films International
Filmfare Awards 1954 Bennett, Coleman and Co. Ltd.
Filmfare Awards South
South Indian International Movie Awards 2012 Vibri Media Group
IIFA Awards 2000 Wizcraft International Entertainment Pvt Ltd
IIFA Utsavam 2016
Zee Cine Awards Telugu 2017 Zee Entertainment Enterprises
Zee Cine Awards 1998
Sansui Viewer's Choice Movie Awards Pritish Nandy CommunicationsTemplate:Citation needed
Santosham Film Awards 2004 Santosham film magazine
CineMAA Awards Tollywood Movie Artistes Association
Asianet Film Awards 1998 Asianet
Screen Awards 1994 Screen Weekly
Stardust Awards 2003 Stardust
Zee Gaurav Puraskar Zee Entertainment Enterprises
TSR TV9 National Awards Telugu 2007–2008 Associated Broadcasting Company Private Limited

T. Subbarami ReddyTemplate:Citation needed

Apsara Awards 2004 Apsara Producers Guild Awards
Vijay Awards 2007 STAR Vijay
Marathi International Film and Theatre Awards 2010 Marathi Film Industry
Punjabi International Film Academy Awards 2012 Parvasi Media Inc.
Prag Cine Awards 2013 Prag AM Television
Filmfare Awards East 2014 Bennett, Coleman and Co. Ltd.

Film education

Government-run and private institutes provide formal education in various aspects of filmmaking. Some of the prominent ones include: Template:Colbegin

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See also

Explanatory notes

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References

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Further reading

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