Its faculty has been served by some well-known names in the fields of direction, teaching and designing. It also has a Repertory Company of its own. The country leads the world in the output of movie films, with more than 800 produced annually. They command an enormous domestic market and have become increasingly popular abroad, particularly in Asia, Africa and West Asia. The major production centres are Mumbai, Chennai and Calcutta.
Movies are the most popular medium of entertainment.
Much of the commercial cinema revolves around social dramas and thrillers with many songs and dance sequences thrown in. But an art cinema which takes a serious look at Indian society is becoming increasingly popular. There has been widespread recognition of Indian artists and directors at film festivals in different parts of the world. India has been a regular participant in film festivals all over the world. Many Indian actors have won international acclaim, some have served on the jury of film festivals abroad.