Bollywood The word Bollywood refers to the popular filmmaking industry in the city of Mumbai India. The name is a combination of Bombay (the former name for Mumbai and Hollywood. Typical Bollywood films are filmed in the Hindi language and feature romantic themes, colorful costumes, lively music, and dancing. In recent years, Bollywood has become one of the largest film-production centers in the world. History The Indian film industry began in the 1920s and 1930s. The first color film made in India, Kisan Kanya, was released in 1937 by Ardeshir lrani. However, color was not widely used in Indian filmmaking until the 1950s. The late 1940s through the 1960s marked an important period in Hindi cinema. Several of the best-known Indian films were produced during this time. In 1957, the film Mother India, directed by Mehboob Khan, was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Through the 1960s and 1970s, many Bollywood films were action/adventure movies, but the 1980s and 1990s saw a shift back to the musical love stories that are still typical today. The early 2000s saw a rapid growth in the popularity of Bollywood cinema and Hindi music. Bollywood Music and Dance The soundtracks for Bollywood films are usually recorded in a studio by professional singers. The actors then lip-sync (move their mouths) to the words while dancing as the scenes are filmed. The lyrics of the songs generally relate to the movie's plot. They may express a character's private thoughts or show dreams-situations that could not happen in reality The style of the dance used in many Bollywood films is based on traditional Indian dance, primarily the folk dances of the northern regions of India. It is also common to see an influence from Western dance styles, such as hip hop Influence on the Film Industry The growth in popularity of Bollywood films during the 2000s helped bring back the musical film genre, which had been popular in the United States in the 1930s and 1940s. Some Hollywood directors returned to making musical films that featured singing and dancing, such as Baz Luhrmann's Moulin Rouge! (2001). The success of Moulin Rouge! brought other popular musical feature films from Hollywood, such as Chicago, Dreamgirls, and Mamma Mia!