Cinema has always been an integral part of Indian culture. Alongside cricket, it is the most consumed entertainment product in the country. But unlike cricket or any other entertainment product for that matter, cinema is influential and has a practical effect on society. Especially in the southern part of the nation, cinema is nothing short of a religion, and film stars enjoy godlike status among fans. There are several instances of actors venturing into politics and scoring big, which is a testament to the reel stars’ influence on society.

Let me make one thing clear in the beginning itself: there’s no such thing called ‘film industry’. Its just that there is a big chunk of films being made in a certain language, and media outlets have come up with a term called ‘film industry’. Needless to say, India is an extremely diverse nation with a hundred different languages, a thousand different dialects, and indefinite traditions. Despite that, there are five languages in which Indian films are predominantly made and consumed. Let’s take a look at each of them.

Hindi

Hindi cinema, aka Bollywood, is without a doubt the biggest in the country. The Mumbai-based film fraternity is so huge that all the non-Hindi films are often labelled ‘Regional Cinema’. Though it might offend some, there’s nothing false in it considering how widely spoken Hindi is across the country. Though filmmakers like Mani Rathnam and Shankar made South cinema’s presence felt in Hindi, it was S. S. Rajamouli who made the entire country look at him with his ground-breaking films. Today, Hindi cinema has become home to terrible remakes, forced sequels, and lacklustre music. Despite having ample acting and writing talent, Hindi cinema has yet to deliver a Bahubali or KGF.

Tamil

Tamil, the oldest language in existence, is the official language of Tamil Nadu, a southern state of India. Tamil cinema, or Kollywood, is the second-biggest in the country (only next to Hindi cinema). Films made in this language are predominantly consumed by the people of Tamil Nadu. Additionally, these films are dubbed into other regional languages, such as Telugu, and they perform well quite often. Actors like Rajnikanth and Suriya enjoy a huge fan following among Telugu audiences, and the latter is often termed the ‘adopted son of Tollywood’. It is safe to say that it was Kollywood that first made waves in Hindi waters. All credit goes to filmmakers like Mani Rathnam and Shankar.

Telugu

Where should I begin? This is the language in which films like Bahubali: The Beginning (2015), Bahubali: The Conclusion (2017), RRR (2022), and Pushpa (2021) were originally made. Bragging apart, this is a language spoken in the southern states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Hyderabad, the city where the film industry is based, is also home to the world’s largest film studio, Ramoji Film City. Though the current generation associates Telugu cinema with S. S. Rajamouli, it was indeed Chiranjeevi who first created a footprint in Indian cinema. Known for his versatility in acting, grace, and dancing abilities, Chiranjeevi is the biggest actor Telugu cinema has given birth to. As a Telugu-speaking individual, I can say that Telugu cinema is enjoying its golden era, producing some of the finest films in the country.

Malayalam

Malayalam cinema or Mollywood is a film fraternity based in the state of Kerala. It is best known for its story-driven plots, strong characters, and realistic depiction of society. Amidst the hero-worshipping plots, gravity-defying fights, and massy music, Malayalam cinema is known for its heartfelt dramas. Some of the country’s most prominent cinematographers, like Santosh Sivan and K. U. Mohanan, hail from Kerala.

Kannada

The last one on the list is, of course, Kannada, a language spoken in the state of Karnataka. Kannada cinema, or Sandalwood, has a long history of films, but it was only after the KGF series that the actors and filmmakers here gained national acclaim. This highly successful film series is often compared to the Bahubali franchise for its scale, novelty, and impact on Indian cinema.

All in all, Bollywood, which was once a synonym for ‘Indian Cinema’, is now in a disastrous phase. There have been umpteen instances of South films performing well in Hindi markets, but not a single instance of the other way around.

Though films like Pathaan (2023) were commercially successful, they’ve failed to create any impact in non-Hindi markets.