Global InformationTamil cinema information
| Tamil cinema | |
|---|---|
 | |
| No. of screens | 1037 (Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry) (2022)[1] |
| Main distributors | AVM Productions Modern Theatres National Pictures Super Good Films Lyca Productions Studio Green Madras Talkies 2D Entertainment Sun Pictures Avni Cinemax Thenandal Studio Limited V Creations Wunderbar Films Red Giant Movies Aascar Films AGS Entertainment Dream Warrior Pictures |
| Produced feature films (2022)[2] | |
| Total | 221 |
Tamil cinema, also known as Kollywood, is the segment of Indian cinema dedicated to the production of motion pictures in the Tamil language, a widely spoken language in the state of Tamil Nadu. It is nicknamed Kollywood, a portmanteau of the names Kodambakkam, a neighbourhood in Chennai, and Hollywood.[3][4][5][6] The first Tamil silent film, Keechaka Vadham, was directed by R. Nataraja Mudaliar in 1918.[7] The first Tamil talking feature film, Kalidas, a multilingual directed by H. M. Reddy was released on 31 October 1931, less than seven months after India's first talking motion picture Alam Ara.[8]
By the end of the 1930s, the legislature of the State of Madras passed the Entertainment Tax Act of 1939. Tamil film industry established itself in Madras (now Chennai), previously primary hub for other South Indian film industries and Sri Lankan cinema.[9] Over the last quarter of the 20th century, Tamil films established a global presence. While enjoying strong box office collections in the Tamil-speaking nations of Singapore, Sri Lanka, and Malaysia, Tamil films are also distributed throughout the Middle East, Oceania, Europe, North America, parts of Africa, and Japan.[10][11] The industry also inspired independent filmmaking among Tamil diaspora populations in Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, and the West.[12]
| Indian cinema |
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| Life in Tamil Nadu |
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- ^ Vinayak, A. J. (28 September 2022). "Why films from the South set the box office on fire". The Hindu Business Line. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
- ^ "KGF 2 to RRR, South Indian film industry saw THESE many releases across 4 languages in 2022!".
- ^ Hiro, Dilip (2010). After Empire: The Birth of a Multipolar World. PublicAffairs. p. 248. ISBN 978-1-56858-427-0.
- ^ Bureau, Our Regional (25 January 2006). "Tamil, Telugu film industries outshine Bollywood". Business Standard. Retrieved 19 February 2012.
- ^ "China's Film Industry and Its Bollywood Future". Forbes.
- ^ "Tamil films give Bollywood a run for its money". The Toronto Star. 3 January 2013. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
- ^ "Metro Plus Chennai / Madras Miscellany : The pioneer'Tamil' film-maker". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 7 September 2009. Archived from the original on 12 September 2009. Retrieved 29 June 2011.
- ^ Velayutham, Selvaraj (2008). Tamil cinema: the cultural politics of India's other film industry. Routledge. p. 2. ISBN 9780415396806.
- ^ "THE TAMIL NADU ENTERTAINMENTS TAX ACT, 1939" (PDF). Government of Tamil Nadu. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 26 September 2011.
- ^ Pillai, Sreedhar. "A gold mine around the globe". The Hindu. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
- ^ "Eros buys Tamil film distributor". Business Standard. Archived from the original on 3 September 2011. Retrieved 6 October 2011.
- "With high demand for Indian movies, Big Cinemas goes global". The Times of India. 12 June 2011. Retrieved 26 September 2011.
- ^ "SYMPOSIUM: SRI LANKA'S CULTURAL EXPERIENCE". Chennai, India: Frontline. Retrieved 26 September 2011.
- "Celebration of shared heritage at Canadian film festival". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 9 August 2011. Retrieved 26 September 2011.