LexBrew
Vol. 10 · Portmanteaus ·Mid-century: TV and science ·1976

Bollywood

Bombay Hollywood

Meaning
The Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai (formerly Bombay).
Source words
Bombay + Hollywood
Coined by
Bevinda Collaco
Year
1976

Background

Collaco, a Bombay film journalist, is credited in Indian trade press with popularising the word. Many Indian critics object to the term as suggesting derivative status; filmmakers like Amitabh Bachchan have publicly criticised it.

Mid-century: TV and science

Two engines dominated: television (sitcom, televangelist) and post-war big science (pulsar, transistor). Many mid-century coinages came from scientific style sheets and industry journals.

Two words, one coinage.

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