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Bollywood

"Bollywood" is the label commonly used in the Western world to describe the whole of Indian cinema, though initially the term was only a colloquial reference to the burgeoning film industry in the modern city of Mumbai (formerly Bombay). Considered the Hollywood of India (Bombay + Hollywood = Bollywood), Mumbai is the second-largest city in the world, with a population of 13.8 million, and one of the most eclectic cultural centers in India. The majority of Hindi films, as they are known in India, remain entrenched in the musical format, in which the plotline is often overshadowed by spectacular presentations of song and dance. Expecting the inclusion of playback singing and choreographed dancing is important to an appreciation of a Bollywood film on its own terms, just as you might anticipate musical performances in a 1950s - or '60s-era Hollywood film.