Bollywood films have a unique ability to capture hearts, transcend language barriers, and, yes, make dancing through fields look impossibly romantic. But it may surprise many readers to know that Bollywood and Indian cinema are not at all synonymous. Here’s a rundown of the genre’s characteristics, history, and iconic examples, with advice for actors.
Bollywood refers specifically to films produced in Hindi, the most popular language used in India, with 528 million speakers nationally. While these films are produced throughout India, the bulk of them come from Mumbai, much like most movies in the United States come from Los Angeles.
From a technical standpoint, any Indian film produced in Hindi would be considered a Bollywood film, but it’s impossible to ignore the fact that the term generally conjures something more specific for people—namely bright colors, elaborate sets, costumes, musical numbers, and just a touch of unreality. This Western view of Bollywood is actually a specific (though admittedly wildly popular!) subset of the industry affectionately called “masala” films. Much like a masala spice blend, these movies combine a mixture of genres, often containing comedy, drama, action, and musical numbers all in one compact project.
A brief history of Bollywood
The term Bollywood (a portmanteau of Hollywood and Bombay, for the curious) was first popularized in the 1970s—but Bollywood as an industry is really as old as the art of film itself, launching with silent films at the turn of the 20th century. Inspired by the 1929 film adaptation of Oscar Hammerstein and Jerome Kern’s “Show Boat,” Ardeshir Irani’s “Alam Ara” (1931) is considered to be the first (non-silent) Bollywood movie, though it is unfortunately considered a lost film.
If old school Bollywood reminds you of 20th-century musicals from the United States and Great Britain, there’s a logical reason for that. Britain’s long-standing occupation of India overlapped the birth of the film industry and continued all the way up until 1947. Though both have expanded and evolved in the decades since, Hollywood and Bollywood have surprisingly similar origins when it comes to cultural influence.
Here are just a few Bollywood movies representing the wide history and scope of the genre.
“Pyaasa” (1957), dir. Guru Dutt
Featured on Time magazine’s All-Time 100 Movies list, “Pyaasa” (“Thirst,” in English) is classic 1950s melodrama. With a sweeping score reminiscent of Hollywood films of the same era, it has decidedly more twists and turns to its plot. Writer-director Dutt stars as Vijay, a struggling poet whose work only becomes relevant after a mixup in which he lends his coat to a homeless man leads people to believe he has died. Featuring a love triangle, dream sequences, stolen identity, and even the protagonist showing up at his own funeral, “Pyaasa” is required viewing not just for those interested in Bollywood, but for any cinephile.
“Sholay” (1975), dir. Ramesh Sippy
Wild West movies were big in the 1960s and 1970s, and while most of us have heard of spaghetti Westerns, Bollywood also got in on the action with its own take—the king of which is Sippy’s “Sholay.” The film follows a pair of ex-cons (Dharmendra and Amitabh Bachchan) who are recruited to capture an elusive and dangerous bandit (Amjad Khan). A classic masala film, it makes use of several genres, combining the classic grit and action of a traditional Western with Bollywood staples like comedy and musical numbers. “Sholay” is internationally beloved, snagging the number one spot on Time Out’s 100 Best Bollywood Movies list.
“Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge” (1995), dir. Aditya Chopra
“Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge” (translated to English, “The Brave-Hearted Will Take the Bride”) is a classic boy-meets-girl story. Raj (eventual Bollywood giant Shah Rukh Khan) meets Simran (Kajol) while both are vacationing in Europe; despite not immediately getting along (classic), they ultimately fall in love. There’s just one problem: Simran’s father has arranged a marriage between her and his friend’s son. It’s a classic Bollywood masala film, with gorgeous visuals, great music, lots of drama, and a satisfying, romantic conclusion. It’s also the most obvious example of a Bollywood film with staying power: As of 2023 it was still being shown in theaters more than 27 years after its release, making it India’s longest-running film.
“Shaitaan” (2024), dir. Vikas Bahl
In Bahl’s “Shaitaan” (“Devil,” in English), a family is tormented by a mysterious stranger (R. Madhavan) who follows them home from vacation and ultimately possesses their daughter (Janki Bodiwala). A bit of a departure from more classic Bollywood fare, “Shaitaan” reminds us not to assume we fully know what the genre is capable of. Despite being a horror film, it still contains many Bollywood stylistic staples, namely a bright color gradient (especially unusual in the often dark and drab horror genre) and (spoiler alert!) a happy ending—something that was not a part of its source material, Krishnadev Yagnik’s “Vash” (2023).
1. Don’t generalize.
For every classic masala-style Bollywood hit, there’s a film waiting to shatter your expectations for the genre. Understand that trying to pin down exactly what makes a Bollywood film is as impossible as pinning down just what makes a Hollywood one.
2. Bollywood can be an international star-making machine.
For as long as the style has been around, there’ve been Bollywood stars. And while things may have been more fragmented in previous decades, the talent pool is officially a global market. Popular Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan made the 2023 Time 100 Most Influential People list; and many other globally recognized actors had their start in Bollywood, most notably Priyanka Chopra.
3. Study up!
You might be thinking that unless you speak Hindi (or are ready to learn!), you aren’t going to find yourself in a Bollywood movie, and you’re probably right—but that doesn’t mean the genre isn’t worth carefully studying. Some English non-Bollywood films are done in homage to the style, such as Danny Boyle’s Oscar-winning “Slumdog Millionaire” (2008).
Additionally, dubbing is a huge industry, and if you find yourself providing the dub for a Bollywood film, your performance will benefit from understanding and honoring the original style of the film.
Just because this may not be an industry you see yourself being hired in directly, the opportunity to watch any good acting is ultimately valuable, and Bollywood films have a well of compelling narratives, quality direction, and spectacular acting.