The
cinema of India consists of films produced across India, which includes the cinematic cultures of
Andhra Pradesh and Telangana,
Assam,
Bihar,
Gujarat,
Haryana,
Jammu and
Kashmir,
Jharkhand,
Karnataka,
Kerala,
Maharashtra,
Manipur,
Odisha,
Punjab,
Rajasthan,
Tamil Nadu,
West Bengal, and
Bollywood among others. Indian films came to be followed throughout
Southern Asia, the
Greater Middle East,
Southeast Asia, and the former
Soviet Union. Cinema as a medium gained popularity in the country and as many as 1,600 films in various
languages of India were produced annually.
Dadasaheb Phalke is known as the
father of Indian cinema. The
Dadasaheb Phalke Award, for lifetime contribution to cinema, was instituted in his honour, by the
Government of India in 1969, and is the most prestigious and coveted award in Indian cinema.