The Biggest Regional Film Industries In India You Should Know About

India is home to the world’s largest film industry, both in terms of number of films produced as well as tickets sold. While Bollywood and Hindi-language cinema constitutes a bulk of popular cinema made in the country, several regional industries are just as dynamic and noteworthy. Here we have rounded up the seven most influential Indian regional film industries you should be aware of.

Telugu

The Telugu film industry is yet another South Indian film industry that closely follows behind Bollywood in reach. Based in Hyderabad, which also happens to be the location of Ramoji Film City – the largest film studio complex in the world – the film industry has been immensely influential in shaping the course of mainstream commercial cinema around the country.

Kannada

Tamil

Headquartered in Chennai, the Tamil film industry is the second largest in India in terms of revenue and distribution. The Tamil film industry hasn’t just found a steady fan base in the state of Tamil Nadu and across South India, but also in pockets around the globe – from Southeast Asia and Oceania to parts of Europe, Africa and North America.

Marathi

Co-existing with powerful Bollywood in Mumbai, the Marathi film industry is the oldest in India – claiming among its filmography Raja Harishchandra (1913), the country’s first full-length feature film. Continually producing critically acclaimed films for over a century, the Marathi film industry has carved an important space for itself as one of the country’s most influential regional industries.

Malayalam

With strong trends of social realism and character-driven stories, Malayalam cinema has earned a reputation for itself as one of India’s most noteworthy. Known locally as Mollywood, it also happens to be one of the country’s leading regional producers of cinema, producing well over 100 films a year.

Bengali

Perhaps the most critically acclaimed of all regional industries, Bengali cinema has its roots in 1920s with the first feature Billwamangal coming out in 1919. Since then, the industry has been in the forefront of India’s parallel or alternate cinema scene. With direction from celebrated filmmakers such as Satyajit Ray, this film industry has established itself as one for cinephiles and film festival goers.

Bhojpuri

Though Bhojpuri language is often considered to be a dialect of Hindi, Bhopjpuri cinema has emerged as a vibrant entity of its own over the years. The industry first came to be with the release of Ganga Maiyya Tohe Piyari Chadhaibo in 1963 after India’s first president Dr. Rajendra Prasad requested for a film to be made in Bhojpuri language.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.