Tollywood
Britishnoun
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the Telugu-language film industry, based in the state of Andhra Pradesh in SE India
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the Bengali-language film industry, based in Tollygunge in E India
Etymology
Origin of Tollywood
C20: a blend of Telugu (or Tollygunge ) + Hollywood ; compare Bollywood
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Sen's influence also extended to Tollywood, Bengal's film industry.
From BBC • Apr. 17, 2026
The lyricist Chandrabose, who is known for his work in Tollywood, that is, Telugu cinema, has said he wrote most of the words in about an hour.
From New York Times • Mar. 12, 2023
“What makes us very proud is that a small industry from South India, Tollywood, and one movie called ‘RRR’ could open the gates to global cinema and bring us here,” said Rao.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 16, 2023
For many, “RRR,” based on Hindu mythology and the freedom fighters that fought British colonialism, is their first encounter with Tollywood, the Telugu movie industry, or Indian films, at all.
From Seattle Times • Jul. 20, 2022
Netflix has "had meetings with pretty much every producer and filmmaker here. You will see the results of those meetings by next year," one of the people, a Tollywood producer, said.
From Reuters • May 24, 2022
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
