Bollywood

Style of film-making particular to the Indian film industry. Bollywood films are usually long, formulaic melodramas incorporating music and dance. They often have unrealistic and escapist plots. The industry produces up to 1,000 films per year and serves an audience of one billion.

Bombay, later Mumbai, was established as the main centre for Indian film-making in the 1930s. Films were produced in all of India's major languages and developed a unique style, with familiar cultural values and larger-than-life heroes. Film idols include Raj Kapoor from the 1950s and Shahrukh Khan in the 1990s.