Bharat Mata Ki Jai!” is the high-minded cry on which actor Arjun Rampal ended his acceptance speech at a recent awards night in Mumbai.
A few in the startled audience clapped uncertainly. Earlier, he had spoken emotionally about his personal trauma while filming the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks scene for the first instalment of Dhurandhar. He plays Major Iqbal in the film, the semi-fictitious rogue Pakistani ISI agent who masterminds the operation. Rampal shares his birthday with the dreaded date… and said he was celebrating at this very hotel that terrible night when he heard the bombs ripping Mumbai apart. He choked back tears at the memory as he raised his trophy high into the air and cried, “Bharat Mata Ki Jai!”
The final act of Major Iqbal in Dhurandhar: The Revenge, just before he meets a fiery end, is to shout, “Long live Pakistan.” Perhaps Rampal was atoning for the dialogue on stage.
Coincidentally, quite a few other awardees at the event, who were being felicitated for their achievements in movies and on OTT platforms, had themselves performed in hyper-nationalistic Bollywood movies such as Dhurandhar. Among the audience were stalwarts, staunch BJP supporters, and showbiz patriots from other political backgrounds such as Anupam Kher and Raveena Tandon (her daughter Rasha was getting an award), and the overall comfort levels were at an all-time high in the beautifully decorated ballroom.
In such polite, well-mannered company, it would have been gauche to refer to the cosiness of being with politically aligned, like-minded folks, happily clinking champagne flutes and enjoying the splendid evening. It was much later that a few thoughts started swirling about how Bollywood’s Hindutva agenda has sneaked up on us, when nobody was looking. Did we have blinkers on all the while? Or are those (like me) who choose to remain on the fringes of the most powerful soft power on earth—Indian cinema—being too naive? Cynics scoff while pointing out the obvious. Political mythology and propaganda, packaged as storytelling by competent filmmakers, can influence the masses far more emphatically than a straight-up propaganda film. But hey—the lines have started to blur. And when “entertainment” gets this intentional and blatant, it eventually loses its power to sway public opinion.
This is something the likes of Aditya Dhar must remember. Social media spares no one. Dhrandhar: The Revenge is heavy-handed in its messaging. And dangerously skewed in its recounting of recent history. The cute and clever reference to the “chaiwallah” altering the course of India’s destiny single-handedly is pretty cringe-worthy, as is the complete distortion of the demonitisation policy that had flattened India’s economy. But in Dhurandhar’s twisted narrative, it is projected as the ultimate act of patriotism that saved the country from a devastating Pakistani attack.
Also read: Dhurandhar success made Aditya Dhar unpopular. Wife Yami Gautam is also being snubbed
Right-wing takeover of Bollywood
Movies with an over-exaggerated Hindu nationalist theme have done very well at the box office, reflecting the aspirations of the “Naya Bharat”, say admirers of the genre. They aren’t wrong. The box office success of Gadar 2 (2023), The Kashmir Files (2022), The Kerala Story (2023), to name a few, indicates a strong shift in perception. Demonising Pakistan and Pakistanis and declaring Pakistan the number one terrorist state in the world works well for audiences across India. They clap and cheer through the bloodiest, goriest scenes as loyal Indian operatives sadistically pulp the dastardly ‘dushman’—in many scenes outdoing them in cruelty. All the gratuitous sadism on display is justified in the name of “patriotism” and love for India.
The takeover of Bollywood by Right–wingers is scary in the long run. The agenda is no longer hidden—it is brazenly out there. The narratives are being manipulated and rescripted to exclude all those who don’t subscribe to the ideology. Conversely, those who do are richly rewarded. Akshay Kumar’s movies are a direct endorsement of the present regime—from Kesari (2019) to Mission Mangal (2019) and beyond, there is only one true mission—to spread the message of Naya Bharat. Islamophobia and political propaganda are vitiating the magic of entertainment systematically but surely.
Soon, our three reigning Superheroes—the Khans—will find themselves being smoothly eased out as producers sign up actors better aligned to the political briefs dictated by Delhi. The changeover will be gradual to make it look “natural” (“The Khans are too old… their movies aren’t bringing in the numbers any more…”). Production houses and big studios are already fast-tracking projects pitched by pro-Hindutva players. Choking those who choose to remain outside these charmed circles is not a big deal. Their projects are kept on hold until patience and money run out.
When stars start using platforms such as awards nights to display loyalty and demonstrate allegiance to filmmakers creating political myths for public consumption, it’s time for alert audiences to assert their rights and call out the manipulators.
Until then, perhaps movie awards will come with a caveat: Actors will be mandated to chorus “Bharat Mata Ki Jai!”, glittering trophy victoriously held up to catch the spotlight.
Shobhaa De is an author, columnist, social commentator, and opinion-shaper. She has written 20 books. She tweets @DeShobhaa. Views are personal.
(Edited by Prasanna Bachchhav)