In the South, in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala film directors like Adoor Gopalakrishnan, M.T. Vasudevan Nair , B.V.Karanth, Girish Karnad, Girish Kasara Valli, G. Aravindan, K. Balachander, K.G. George, P.A. Backer, G.V.Aiyer made some distinguished films.

Pattabhi Rama Reddy ( Damskara ), Adoor Gopalakrishnan (Swayamvaram), M.T. Vasudevan Nair ( Nirmalyam), B.V.Karanth ( Chomana Dudi), Girish Karnad ( Kaadu), Girish Kasara Valli ( Ghatasradha), G. Aravindan's Uttarayanam and Thamp, K. Balachander's Arangetram, Avargal and Apoorva Ragangal, K.G. George's Swapnadanam and P.A. Backer's Chuvanna Vithukal and G.V.Iyer's Hamsageethe, Durai's Pasi were some of  the most relevant films of the times.

In the eighties and nineties, Shyam Benegal's Bhumika, Govind Nihlani's Aaghat, Damul (Prakash Jha), 36-Chowringhee Lane (Aparna Sen), New Delhi Times (Ramesh Sharma), Mirch Masala (Ketan Mehta), Rao Saheb (Vijaya Mehta), Debshishu (Utpalendu Chakraborthy), Mahesh Bhatt (Arth), Trishagni (Nabayendu Ghosh), Ijaazat (Gulzar), Umrao Jaan (Muzafar Ali), Dakhal, Paar (Gautam Ghose), Dooratwa, Neem Annapurana, Andhi Gali (Buddhadeb Dasgupta), Aajka Robin Hood (Tapan Sinha), Tabarana Kathe, Bannada Vesha (Girish Kasara Valli), Accident and Swamy (Shanker Naag), Daasi (B. Narasinga Rao) and Roja, Bombay (Maniratnam) were the significant films of this period. In the south, Adoor and Aravindan, consolidated their position in the eighties and nineties with their films Elippathayam, Mukha Mukham, Anantharam, Esthappan, Pokkuveyil, Chidambaram, Mathilukal, Videyan, and Oridath. 

But in Hindi commercial cinema, musical love stories become a new trend in the late eighties and nineties. Mr. India, Tezaab, Qayamat se Qayamat Tak, Main Pyar Kiya, Chandni, Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander, Hum Hain Rahi Pyarke, Baazigar, Hum Apake Hai Kaun, Krantiveer, Raja, Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, Rangeela were some of the popular Hindi films of the last decade.

Now, Indian Cinema especially, Hindi cinema is not only popular in India but in parts of the Middle East, Pakistan, UK and virtually every other place where Indians live. Films like Lagaan, Salaam Bombay and Monsoon Wedding making the international market sit up and take notice definitely indicate that India is poised for bigger things as far as Cinema goes. Monsoon Wedding was the all-time top 10 foreign box-office hits in America. 

Today, Indian cinema has reached many a mile stone with advanced technologies using new digital projectors, converting digital format etc.