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Bollywood

BOL-lee-wood

Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai — the largest in India by output and reach.

Meaning & usage

Bollywood is the informal name for the Hindi-language film industry centred in Mumbai (formerly Bombay — the "B" of Bollywood). It produces over a thousand films a year, is famous for its song-and-dance set pieces, and exports across South Asia, the Middle East, Africa and the global Indian diaspora. India is also home to large Tamil (Kollywood), Telugu (Tollywood), Malayalam and Bengali film industries; "Bollywood" specifically means the Hindi one.

In a sentence

The Bollywood number was the loudest part of the evening.

Common spelling variants

  • Bolly
  • Hindi cinema

Bollywood is the canonical English spelling used in MG Mini puzzles.

Category: Arts Origin: English