Amandeep Chaudhary

The Fall of Bollywood and the Rise of South Indian Cinema

From the dawn of Indian cinema in 1913, Bollywood, based primarily in Mumbai, held a seemingly unshakeable dominance over the nation's film landscape for nearly a century, roughly from 1900 to 2000. This era saw the creation of iconic films like "Mother India" and "Mughal-E-Azam," showcasing the grandeur and storytelling prowess that Bollywood became known for. The industry also delivered lighter fare, with beloved comedies such as "Padosan" and "Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi" in the 1990s, and continued to produce impactful films like "Chak De India" and "Lakshya" in the early 2000s. Bollywood's influence permeated the cultural fabric of India, boasting the largest share of the film industry's revenue and holding significant sway over public sentiment.