Mani Ratnam, one of the most revered directors in Indian cinema, recently attended the second edition of the CII Dakshin Media and Entertainment Summit in Chennai. During the panel discussion, which focused on the impact of South Indian films, Ratnam expressed his frustration with the labeling of the Indian film industry as “Bollywood” or “Kollywood.”
“If Hindi cinema can stop calling themselves Bollywood, then people will stop identifying Indian cinema as Bollywood,” he said. National Award-winning director Vetrimaaran, who is known to be a close friend of filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, shared similar sentiments, saying, “I’m not a fan of the ‘woods’. Like Bollywood, Kollywood. We need to see it as Indian cinema on the whole.”
The panel also featured actor and filmmaker Rishab Shetty, who spoke about the importance of marketing local stories globally and the need to represent the diverse populations of India in cinema.
Mani Ratnam is currently promoting the second installment of his magnum opus, Ponniyin Selvan, which is set to release on April 28. The film, based on the epic of the same name written by Kalki Krishnamurthy, features an all-star cast including Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Karthi, Chiyaan Vikram, Trisha, Jayam Ravi, Prakash Raj, Prabhu, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Sobhita Dhulipala, Jayaram, Ashwin Kakumanu, Mohan Raman, Sarathkumar, and Parthiban. The technical crew includes composer AR Rahman, editor Sreekar Prasad, and cinematographer Ravi Varman.
The first part of the film, which was released last year, was a critical and commercial success, becoming the biggest hit in Tamil cinema. The second installment of the film picks up from where the first part ended, with Ponniyin Selvan facing death and Aishwarya Rai’s Oomai Rani jumping into the sea to save him.
Mani Ratnam highlights the influence of South India film in World Cinema
Mani Ratnam also highlighted the influence of South Indian films on world cinema during the panel discussion. He has been a trailblazer in the industry, creating several critically acclaimed films such as Roja, Bombay, and Dil Se. His work has also been recognized internationally, with many of his films being screened at prestigious film festivals such as Cannes and Venice.
The director’s frustration with the labeling of the Indian film industry as “Bollywood” or “Kollywood” is not new. Many industry insiders have expressed their displeasure with the use of these terms, which they feel do not accurately represent the diverse cinema landscape of India.
The use of the term “Bollywood” was first popularized in the 1970s, with the emergence of Hindi-language commercial cinema. The term “Kollywood” refers to the Tamil-language film industry based in Chennai. However, these labels fail to acknowledge the numerous other film industries across India, including those in Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Bengali, and Marathi.
The Indian film industry is one of the largest and most diverse in the world, producing over 1,500 films annually in more than 20 languages. The industry employs millions of people and generates billions of dollars in revenue. However, despite its size and impact, the industry is often overlooked and reduced to the narrow confines of “Bollywood.”
The use of these labels is not just limiting but also contributes to a lack of representation and diversity in the industry. It perpetuates the idea that only Hindi-language commercial cinema is relevant and overlooks the contributions of other regional industries.