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Modi brings spectacle, theatrics to prime ministership. It may never be the same again

Anybody who succeeds Narendra Modi may have to also enact the king-size performances that the prime minister has set as a template.

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For Modi, everything — from diplomacy to elections — is a grand spectacle, an opportunity to showcase a larger-than-life persona and dominate the news cycle.

With this personality, Narendra Modi has changed the behavioural paradigm and image projection of Indian prime ministers. The Indian voter now expects their PM to be everything grand, to be the superstar who would ‘entertain’ them at regular intervals. Modi now presides over India not as the prime minister, but like a king. For a democracy, this can be a burdensome legacy. Anybody who succeeds him may have to also enact the king-size performances that Modi has set as a template. If the Delhi election is any indication, it does look like Modi is writing the playbook for other politicians to follow. L. K. Advani may have said it disparagingly when he called Modi a good event manager. But Modi owned it and turned it into his political canvas.

US President Donald Trump’s visit is no different. Wrapped in a fancy and glitzy show with massive crowds, it brought a city to a standstill, with a mega event and a much-publicised roadshow.

Modi is the eternal showman — relentless in his pursuit for grandeur, untiring in his attempts to be the centre of attention and never shying away from shedding all semblance of subtlety. For him, even diplomacy is more about pomp and show and more pomp, than about substance. Thus, when Barack Obama comes calling, the PM decides to dress himself up in a suit monogrammed with his name, and when Trump visits, he decides to make a festival of it.


Also read: A chaiwala is PM, but it’s the cartel of power elites that calls the shots in India


The ‘extraordinary’ out of the ordinary

It isn’t just diplomatic events where Modi turns into a showman. It’s his intrinsic nature which spills out on a daily basis and characterises the everyday aspects of his prime ministership, making him jump from one mega show to another.

The PM has instilled this belief in Indians that his role is not merely to win elections and govern, but to also make them ‘proud’ by projecting a larger-than-life personality. He believes winning elections is as much a factor of work and substance as of bluster, and thus, every development, diplomatic event, significant day or policy initiative becomes an opportunity to put up a grand show.

The constant urge to mount a spectacle is not just a personal trait but also a political need for Modi. As the head of first full-majority BJP government, his quest is always to signal a dramatic, disruptive shift from business-as-usual and from the way India thinks. And no amount of speeches can do that, it has to be conveyed visually as well.


Also read: Litti-chokha, hot chai, some music, chit-chat with artisans — PM Modi’s day out in Delhi


The perennial showman

For Narendra Modi, elections are the ultimate platform to showcase his self. He turns most polls (except some like the recent ones in Delhi where he feels distancing himself is safer) to be around himself, referring to himself in third person, carpet bombing with rallies and fancy speeches. As he visits different states, his headgear ranges from the more ‘usual’ to dramatic, adding a dollop of drama to his presence.

For Modi, Yoga Day isn’t just about waking up at 5am, quietly practising his yoga and pushing out a tweet. It’s about making it one grand exhibition, and using the platform to grab headlines.

Modi’s birthday isn’t just about cutting a cake, meeting people, receiving wishes and returning the greetings. It is a carefully orchestrated performance — meal with his mother with cameras rolling, releasing butterflies and more such drama.

Remaining fit isn’t merely about a regimented lifestyle and work-outs, it’s showing-off his exercise routine and ensuring the visuals go viral. Cleanliness or swachhta requires the PM to theatrically pick up the broom himself because merely giving speeches and issuing directions to relevant authorities is passé.

Even something as personal and spiritual as meditation isn’t done quietly. Narendra Modi prays in the public eye, dons a saffron robe to meditate in front of clicking cameras and makes sure this becomes another grand event.

Can you imagine any other Indian prime minister unapologetically taking part in a show like Man vs Wild with Bear Grylls?

The constant need to remain in public memory and outdo everyone else, along with the unabashed desire to rule media and social media space has become an inherent part of Modi’s personality, getting more accentuated with time.

To be fair, there isn’t anything really wrong with this — except that the office of the PM comes with a degree of responsibility and grace. With Modi’s over-the-top drama and unashamed peddling of self, that gets blurred at some level.


Also read: The Modi playbook: Delay in PM condemning attacks on Kashmiris is part of a pattern


Modi’s in-your-face diplomacy

For Modi, diplomacy is as much about the exhibition and glamour as it is about strategic talks and building relationships with countries. His version of diplomacy is often less international, and more focussed to cater to a domestic audience, ensures the news cycle revolves around him and is used as a platform for political/electoral posturing.

Narendra Modi’s diplomacy, therefore, is hardly the stuff subtlety is made of. He will try his hands at drumming in Tanzania, compete with a professional drummer in Japan, wear a monogrammed suit that makes it to the Guinness Book, enjoy a swing ride with China’s Xi Jinping at the Sabarmati riverfront and address a massive crowd at New York’s Madison Square Garden.

To boast of his close ties with the United States and its leadership, Modi will hold hands with Trump after the mega Howdy, Modi! event and take what can only be described as a victory lap.

The outcome of his visits often range from precious little to significant, but in terms of the selling point, the concrete stuff is never at the forefront, it is Modi, Modi and more Modi.

Given his six-year track record, it’s clear that Modi relishes playing the forever-showman. Narendra Modi, in fact, is not content being just that — the Indian prime minister wants to be a showstopper, and uses everything at his disposal to ensure he emerges as just that.

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14 COMMENTS

  1. While right, the author’s take on PM’s style &substance do not make for any significant insight. Showman ,yes , so what? I find Modi a most extraordinary showman , to win consecutive LS elections single handedly , is absolutely amazing. To promise to root out corruption is bettering the piedpiper. It is absolutely mind boggling.

  2. India is a land of festival and celebration ,every citizen or country have problem working hard then often taking break for making big celebration is Indian cultura.Money earning purpose is to Happiness and celebration..

  3. I wondered seeing the heading how come at least to come up with some positive heading that, of course, ended criticizing Modi, not surprisingly,though.

  4. This is the age of visuals, packaging and celebrating achievements and not of losers but many of us still choose to live as under achievers and under dogs, India has seen achievements in almost all fields be it sports, science, medicine , and above everything we are a young nation with 70% of our population younger than 35 years, the leadership has to project positivity and the young of today are energetic , vivacious forward looking , aspirational, ambitious , they have to feel proud of the country and show to the world our best side and not revel in showing our slums, poverty after all we are the 5 biggest economy of the world in terms of nominal GDP and 3 rd in terms of PP, the world sees immense opportunities And possibilities in India that is what Modi is doing packaging India, marketing India which is the need of today and not package India the way Mrinal Sen, Satyajit Ray , Bimal Roy did now we don’t need to be apologetic to be an Indian but a very proud one

  5. Same was practiced by the great Nazi leader of \Germany, the infamous Benito Mussolini of Italy, the “Sun of Asia” Indira Gandhi!!What was the future of these leaders ? Mind it !!

  6. Nothing wrong? There is. It drags the highest office of the land down to cheap pomp and pageant. It shows a shallow mind. The masses will like it, and the more mass-appeal that something has, the more it is harmful to the society. Used to the spectacle, people can’t separate the show from the substance. Future PMs will have to always worry about putting up a show because performance alone will not be enough.

  7. The world gets attracted only when there is a spectacle. Look at how the tech companies host product launches…Democracy is not an isolated word..it means people and the majority of common people like spectacle…times have changed, don’t let your outdated education based on ancient rules interfere with your evolution.

  8. I’ve made this comments a million times and I’m constrained to make it again now. The Print, which I respect, under the watch of Shekhar Gupta, whom I respect is slipping fast. A bunch of opinions is NOT an article. I know, because I’m a journalist too. It is sad that The Print lets its pages be taken over by motivated opinions. Shivam Vij is another regular offender, because his ‘articles’ again are a collection of his personal opinions. Any reader can contrast these ‘articles’ with those of Shekhar Gupta and see the difference. It is not about supporting or opposing Modi. Shekhar Gupta often writes anti-Modi, but they are insightful.
    In this present case, I can’t for my life understand what the hell is so wrong if the leader of a nation participates in high profile events. It is good for the country’s image, it has helped. Shekhar Gupta’s most recent Cut the Clutter clearly underscores the strategic significance of Trump’s talk.
    I have always chosen to read The Print because in the mass of excrement from Delhi, such as The Wire, The Quint and Scroll.in, The Print is more balanced.
    I want to ask Shekhar Gupta this: should the profession that fed and clothed you be killed under your watch?

    • Even after making a “million” comments, you fail to appreciate the point that the article is making – the current PM is setting the new norm – style matters more than performance, in fact style is substituting for performance. Something similar happened to our cinema – which was full of meaningful stories and music in the 50s and 60s and degenerated to mindless masala and cacophony, from which we are yet to recover. In time, everyone will follow this trend due to herd mentality prevalent amongst Indians, and our country, once famous for intellectuals and scholars holding high office, would be more identified with men of show and smoke.

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