Business Standard

The myth of Bollywood

Indian cinema is a poster child of diversity and a symbol of soft power. Don't let it become a wasteland of petty squabbles

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Vanita Kohli-Khandekar
Pick up a map of Maharashtra. Look for Bollywood; the place where Shah Rukh Khan, Ak­shay Kumar, Amitabh Ba­ch­chan and other big film stars live and work.

You will not find it, of course. Bo­lly­wood is simply a pejorative term used for the Mumbai-based Hindi film industry; a sort of a lowly cousin of Ho­lly­wood. Film industries in other parts of India are referred to in similarly disparaging terms — Tollywood for the Telugu film industry and Kollywood for Ta­mil. Some of the best within the industry, including Bachchan and Shabana Azmi, actively discourage the use of these te­rms. They
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