Cinema in India
Art & Culture › Theatre, Cinema & Puppetry · Topic 6.7
Cinema in India is one of the largest film industries in the world by number of films made, producing films in over 20 languages every year, led by Hindi (Bollywood), Telugu (Tollywood), Tamil (Kollywood), Malayalam (Mollywood), Kannada (Sandalwood) and Bengali. It is regulated by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) under the Cinematograph Act, 1952, supported by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting through the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII, Pune, 1960), the National Film Archive of India (Pune, 1964) and the International Film Festival of India (IFFI, Goa). Cinema is both mass entertainment and a tool of soft power.
5 min read · UPSC Prelims · Art & Culture · Theatre, Cinema & Puppetry
At a Glance
- Regulator CBFC under Cinematograph Act, 1952
- Ministry Information and Broadcasting
- Film training FTII Pune, 1960
- Archive NFAI Pune, 1964
- Festival IFFI, Goa
- Exam link UPSC Prelims, Art and Culture: Theatre, Cinema & Puppetry
Where Does It Fit?
This is the opening topic of the film part of the macro. It gives the structure of the industry and institutions, and the next two topics add its history and classification with awards. Previous topic: Renaissance of Indian Theatre. Next topic: History of Indian Cinema (Dadasaheb Phalke).
What Are the Main Film Industries of India?
| Industry and nickname | Language and base | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bollywood | Hindi, Mumbai (Bombay) | Largest by revenue and reach; early studios Bombay Talkies, Prabhat. Dadasaheb Phalke, Raj Kapoor, Guru Dutt, Mehboob Khan |
| Tollywood | Telugu, Hyderabad (and Bengali industry in Tollygunge, Kolkata also called Tollywood) | Large output; Baahubali and RRR (Naatu Naatu won the Oscar for Best Original Song in 2023) made it global |
| Kollywood | Tamil, Chennai (Kodambakkam) | Early studios in Madras; superstar culture and politics link |
| Mollywood | Malayalam, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram | Known for realistic and content-rich films; Adoor Gopalakrishnan, G. Aravindan |
| Sandalwood | Kannada, Bengaluru | Gubbi Veeranna, Rajkumar; Kantara and KGF as recent hits |
| Bengali cinema | Bengali, Kolkata | Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak, Mrinal Sen; New Theatres studio |
| Marathi cinema | Marathi, Mumbai and Kolhapur | Shree Pundalik (1912) is an early film; Prabhat Film Company, Pune |
| Others | Odia (Ollywood), Assamese, Punjabi, Bhojpuri, Gujarati | Assamese film Joymoti (1935) by Jyotiprasad Agarwala was the first |
Which Institutions Support and Regulate Cinema?
| Body | Year and place | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Central Board of Film Certification | 1952 (as the Central Board of Film Censors), Mumbai | Certifies films for public exhibition under the Cinematograph Act, 1952 |
| Film Division | 1948, Mumbai | Made documentaries and newsreels. Merged with other film bodies into NFDC in 2022 to 2023 |
| National Film Development Corporation | 1975, Mumbai | Funds and promotes good cinema; runs Film Bazaar |
| Film and Television Institute of India | 1960, Pune | Premier film training institute |
| Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute | 1995, Kolkata | Film training institute |
| National Film Archive of India | 1964, Pune. Founded by P. K. Nair | Preserves film heritage |
| Directorate of Film Festivals | 1973 | Ran IFFI and the National Film Awards; its work moved to NFDC in the 2022 to 2023 merger |
| International Film Festival of India | First held 1952 (Mumbai); permanent site Goa since 2004 | Asia’s major film festival |
What Else Should You Remember?
- Scale: cinema in India makes well over a thousand feature films a year in many languages, and the exact count varies by year and source, so quote it only with a date
- Cinematograph (Amendment) Act, 2023: introduced three age-based categories within the UA rating (UA 7+, UA 13+ and UA 16+) and tougher penalties for film piracy
- National Film Heritage Mission: launched in 2016 to digitise and restore films held by the National Film Archive
- Oscars: Bhanu Athaiya won for costume design in Gandhi (1983); Satyajit Ray received an honorary Oscar in 1992; A. R. Rahman won two awards for Slumdog Millionaire in 2009, with Gulzar sharing the song award; The Elephant Whisperers and Naatu Naatu won in 2023
- Mother India: Mehboob Khan’s film (1957) was India’s first Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film
- Foreign investment: 100 percent FDI is allowed in film production and exhibition under the automatic route
- Soft power: Indian films are popular in Russia, Africa, the Middle East and the diaspora, and are used for tourism and cultural diplomacy
- Piracy and censorship: online piracy and debates on censorship and artistic freedom are major issues
- OTT: streaming platforms have grown fast and operate under the IT Rules, 2021, with a code of ethics for digital media
- Spelling variants: Mumbai film industry is called Bombay cinema or Hindi cinema; Bollywood is a popular term not an official one
- Link: the story of the industry is traced in History of Indian Cinema (Dadasaheb Phalke) and awards in Classification of Indian Cinema Film (National Film Awards)
Why Does It Matter for the Exam?
- Institutions: FTII, NFAI, NFDC, CBFC and their years
- Act: Cinematograph Act 1952 and 2023 amendment
- Industries: nicknames and cities
- International: Oscars won by Indians
- Common errors: giving CBFC to the Ministry of Culture, or NFAI to Mumbai
As an analytical point, cinema is an industry, a cultural force and a regulated medium. Policy must balance artistic freedom with public order, and support regional and independent cinema against the pull of blockbuster markets.
Why Is This Topic Important?
- Institutions Years and cities
- Law Cinematograph Act
- Oscars Facts
What Came Next?
The next topic is the History of Indian Cinema (Dadasaheb Phalke). Next topic: History of Indian Cinema (Dadasaheb Phalke).
Key People and Terms
- CBFC Film certifier
- NFDC Film promoter
- FTII Film school
- NFAI Film archive
- IFFI Festival
- OTT Streaming
Exam Corner
Points to Remember
- Regulator: CBFC, 1952 Act.
- FTII: Pune, 1960.
- NFAI: Pune, 1964, P. K. Nair.
- IFFI: Goa.
- Oscar 2023: Naatu Naatu.
Do Not Confuse With
- CBFC and Film Division Certifier versus documentary maker
- FTII and SRFTI Pune versus Kolkata
- NFDC and NFAI Promoter versus archive
Memory Hook
CBFC certifies, NFDC funds, FTII trains, NFAI keeps, IFFI shows.
Mains Angle
Questions ask about film policy and soft power. These points give a frame.
- Soft power Global reach
- Regulation Freedom versus control
- Heritage Archive and restoration
A Question You May Face
An original practice question, not a past paper question.
“Indian cinema is both an industry and a cultural force. Discuss its role as soft power and the regulatory issues involved.”
How to Answer
- Scale Languages and industries.
- Soft power Diaspora and festivals.
- Issues Piracy, censorship.
- Way Balanced law, archive.
GS Relevance
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the main film industries of India?
The main industries are Bollywood (Hindi, Mumbai), Tollywood (Telugu, Hyderabad), Kollywood (Tamil, Chennai), Mollywood (Malayalam), Sandalwood (Kannada, Bengaluru), and Bengali cinema in Kolkata. Many other languages such as Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Gujarati and Bhojpuri also have film industries.
Which body certifies films in India?
The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) certifies films for public exhibition in India under the Cinematograph Act, 1952. It works under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and gives categories such as U, UA (with 7+, 13+ and 16+ after the 2023 amendment), A and S.
What is the role of the NFDC?
The National Film Development Corporation, set up in 1975 under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, promotes good cinema by financing, producing and distributing films. It runs the Film Bazaar and took over the Film Division, the National Film Archive and the Children's Film Society in 2022 to 2023.
Where is the Film and Television Institute of India?
The Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) is in Pune, Maharashtra, and was established in 1960 on the site of the old Prabhat Film Company. It is India's premier film training institute. The Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute at Kolkata is a sister institute.
Which Indian films have won an Oscar?
Indian-linked Oscar wins include Bhanu Athaiya for costume design in Gandhi (1983), Satyajit Ray's honorary award (1992), A. R. Rahman (two awards) and Gulzar for Slumdog Millionaire (2009), and in 2023 Naatu Naatu from RRR for Best Original Song and The Elephant Whisperers for Best Documentary Short.
Why is Indian cinema important for UPSC?
It is important because Prelims asks about institutions, acts and festivals, and Mains asks about soft power, regulation and film heritage. It connects art and culture to media regulation and cultural diplomacy in GS Papers 1 and 2.
PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis
1 The CBFC functions under the Cinematograph Act, 1952.
It certifies films for exhibition.
2 The National Film Archive of India is located in Mumbai.
It is located in Pune.
3 Naatu Naatu won an Oscar in 2023.
It was Best Original Song.
4 The FTII was established in 1975.
It was established in 1960. NFDC dates from 1975.
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