- Ranbir Kapoor said he does not like the term Bollywood because it is derived from Hollywood.
- The actor wants to be recognised as a representative of Indian cinema and its diverse cultures.
- Ranbir made the comments while promoting his upcoming two-part film Ramayana in London.
Ranbir Kapoor has said he would rather be called an Indian actor than a Bollywood star. The actor shares that he believes the name is a derivative of Hollywood and does not fully represent the diversity of Indian cinema.
While promoting his upcoming film Ramayana in London, Ranbir spoke to ITV alongside his co-stars Sai Pallavi and Yash. During the conversation, the host asked him about his reservations around the umbrella term Bollywood, which is often used to describe Hindi cinema and, at times, the larger Indian film industry.
Explaining his point, Ranbir said, “I think it's just a term used as a derivative of Hollywood. Because it was Bombay at that time, so it became Bollywood, and the Telugu industry became Tollywood, and they had all these different-sounding names.”
The actor went on to explain how he would prefer the Indian film industry to be represented globally. Rather than being identified with Bollywood, he wants to represent Indian cinema as a whole. He also spoke about how films from different countries and cultures can connect with audiences across borders.
“I would like to be a representative of Indian cinema. We come from a country where we have different cultures, different languages, different states. But at the end of it, we are all striving to make art. And art is something that gets people together. There are no borders in art. You tell a good, authentic story that is rooted in your culture and tradition; it always speaks to the world. We have seen that with Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, with films from Korea, and with Life Is Beautiful. The ambition is that, but you are not blindly just trying to cater to a global audience. You are still trying to be really authentic in your storytelling and culture,” added Ranbir.
Meanwhile, Ranbir Kapoor's Ramayana is a two-part film. Produced by Namit Malhotra's Prime Focus Studios with DNEG and Yash's Monster Mind Creations, the film features Ranbir as Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash as Ravana, Ravie Dubey as Lakshman and Sunny Deol as Lord Hanuman.
The first instalment is scheduled to hit theatres worldwide on November 5 this year, while the second part is set for Diwali 2027.
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