Understanding Indian cinema starts with its broad landscape. The name Bollywood is commonly used worldwide to refer to Indian film, but within India it isn’t the preferred term. Bollywood denotes the single Mumbai studio complex where Hindi films are made, and the industry’s output is largely entertainment—spectacular musical melodramas and high-budget blockbusters.
Bollywood is no longer the sole power in Indian cinema. Across the country, other major production hubs have risen, notably Kollywood in Chennai for Tamil films and Tollywood in Hyderabad for Telugu productions.
Altogether, Indian cinema spans 16 regional hubs with production across more than 20 languages. The sheer scale underscores India’s growing influence on the global stage, challenging Western markets to keep pace with its prolific output.
The 2009 Oscar win for Slumdog Millionaire, a transnational project with Indian talent at its core, signaled a turning point. While a blockbuster breakthrough in the late 2000s did not immediately follow, Indian cinema has steadily earned a place in Western consciousness. Global demand for cosmopolitan storytelling and publicly funded support for the industry helped widen its reach, aided by audiences who grew up with Indian films.
Some observers initially see Indian cinema as a continual string of songs, dances, and melodrama. Yet contemporary productions increasingly tackle social issues, resonating with international viewers. One example is the series Crime in Delhi, a raw, artistic retelling of a high-profile crime that Netflix acquired in 2019, expanding its appeal beyond Indian audiences.
Data from 2020 shows a surge in Indian content on streaming platforms. Major players like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+ Hotstar together spent around $520 million on Indian content that year, up about $100 million from 2019, according to a leading research firm.
Online platforms are quick to capitalise on the rising interest in Indian cinema. Broadcasters are expanding their catalogs to attract new viewers, and experience with similar adaptations behind global hits demonstrates that Western audiences crave authenticity. Subtitled films and well-produced dubbing allow international fans to enjoy the mood, voice, and texture of Indian productions without losing the core cultural identity.
In Russia, shifts mirror global trends. As Western distributors retreat, officials promote content from friendly nations, including India, while domestic streaming services increasingly spotlight Indian cinema as a preferred option for diversifying offerings. Kinopoisk, for example, has launched notable projects like Once Upon a Time in the Cinema and the massive Indian epic RRR, which drew strong box office and streaming attention, including thoughtful video analyses that praise its craft and impact.
Looking ahead, new Indian titles are entering Western catalogs through platforms like Amediateka, with premieres planned for series such as The 1992 Scam: The Story of Harshad Mehta, Frontier: Inner Siege, and Undekhi. August will also bring a curated set of high-rated Indian dramas to KION’s online cinema.
The momentum continues across broadcasting as well. The melodrama The Lot of Women has aired on TV-3, expanding its audience by reimagining Jane Austen’s Sensibility in a contemporary setting. The show has found warmth with local viewers and has managed to cross cultural boundaries, maintaining steady appeal for years.
In the Russian market, Indian films remained visible in domestic release lists through the early 2020s. Titles include Once Upon a Time and Vikram, among others, illustrating that Bollywood, Kollywood, and Tollywood films continue to attract Western curiosity despite industry and geopolitical shifts. In some cases, Indian productions have secured international partnerships, such as RRR, which benefited from Australian and American distribution channels during its release window.
The North American distribution scene remains receptive to Indian projects, with distributors constantly evaluating potential hits like Lalana’s Song and Dhuin at major film markets such as Cannes. This year’s Cannes Film Market highlighted how Indian cinema is entering a mature phase, supported by bold storytelling and expanding global pipelines.
Industry observers note a turning point in Indian cinema’s history, marked by renewed creative energy and increasing international engagement. The ongoing evolution will shape how content is bought, licensed, and consumed on both global and local markets, including Canada and the United States.