Actor Ranbir Kapoor has shared his reservations about the term ‘Bollywood’, saying he would prefer to be recognised as an Indian actor rather than being associated with a label derived from Hollywood. The actor believes the term does not fully represent the diversity of India’s film industry.
Ranbir made these remarks during a promotional interview in London for his upcoming film Ramayana, in which he stars alongside Sai Pallavi and Yash. Speaking to ITV, the actor was asked about his views on the widely used term Bollywood, which is commonly associated with Hindi cinema and sometimes used as an umbrella term for the broader Indian film industry.
Explaining his reservations, Ranbir said that Bollywood originated as a derivative of Hollywood. He pointed out that the naming convention also influenced the labels used for other regional film industries, including Tollywood for Telugu cinema.
According to the actor, such terminology does not necessarily reflect the identity and diversity of Indian filmmaking. He expressed a preference for representing Indian cinema as a whole rather than being identified exclusively with Bollywood.
Ranbir also highlighted the universal nature of cinema, suggesting that films can connect audiences across different countries, languages and cultures. His comments reflect a broader conversation about how Indian films are represented internationally and whether the term Bollywood adequately captures the country’s diverse cinematic landscape.
India has several major film industries producing movies in different languages, including Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and Bengali. While Bollywood remains widely recognised internationally, regional film industries have also gained global audiences through successful films and international distribution.
Ranbir Kapoor’s remarks come ahead of the worldwide theatrical release of Ramayana: Part 1, scheduled for November 5. The film also features Sai Pallavi and Yash and has generated attention as one of the major upcoming Indian cinematic projects.
His preference for the broader identity of Indian cinema has once again brought attention to the growing international recognition of films made across India’s different languages and industries.
