You cannot ignore it anymore. Everyone can connect the dots. And though you may not be able to link it to the on-ground political aspirations and vote politics directly, it is on your face. The big screen has become more prominent and politically engaged. Political propaganda and vote requests are no longer restricted to the 60-second political films that run like other brand promotions. They are now The Film.
It would be naïve to see it as a mere coincidence. It is political. Joh Dikta Hai Woh Bikta Hai. Let us not forget that the Modi government is all about the visible delivery of the promise – the guarantee – the works you can see- the inaugurations, and the promises fulfilled.
The changes in the landscape in and around us are dominantly visible. The films provide stories that leave the audience emotionally charged and with memorable proof. Indeed, one can not underestimate the power of these suggestive screenplays. They definitely nudge the voters to think and pledge their support to the political narrative. You cannot claim an unequal fight if one of the political parties, in their strategic approach, has seen the big screen’s impact on vote swings and is leveraging it overtly or covertly.
Recent Films
I recently watched ‘Article 370’, and then I watched the Indian Top Gun equivalent “Fighter”, a hell of a simple entertainer ‘Teri Batoon Mein Aisa Uljha’ and ‘Main Atal Hoon’.
In the theatre before the feature film and during the interval, I was relentlessly attacked with teasers of the forthcoming films. It is not surprising that half of them would qualify as a clear case of political propaganda with the content and timing of the release.
Till one cannot directly correlate and find a strong connection and funding of the movie by political parties, one will have to give it to the ruling party to judicially leverage a media that was earlier not in the game.
It is not something new. There has been a definitive shift in the content of the movies for some time. They are more pro-government and based on the action. They also target the inactivity or perceived wrongs of the opposition or the stalwarts of the opposition parties. The shift has intensified as we near the election time.
The Orientation
The main themes are simple and easy to see.
Religion supremacy- and that is Hinduism. It, at times, tends to become Islamophobic but is supported with known facts of recent or historical events.
The bold initiatives of the government- doing which no other party dared to do. In effect, it projects a few political leaders as superheroes.
Re-aligning the misinterpreted freedom movement and giving due focus to many equally great leaders.
List not Short
Be it ‘Main Atal Hu’, ‘Accidental Prime Minister’, ‘The Kerala Story’, ‘URI’, ‘Kashmir Files’, ‘Article 370’ or ‘Fighter’. Or the yet-to-be-released ‘Accident or Conspiracy: Godhra’, ‘Razakar’, ‘The Sabarmati Report’, ‘Bastar’, and the biopic of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar’. Some movies suggested a similar narrative but failed to make a mark, like ‘Aakhir Palaayan Kab Tak?’.
Indianising or Hinduising Factor
The path to Indianising Bollywood started way back. The social media posts repeatedly projected a Bollywood conspiracy wrongly portraying Hindus. It questioned how all the wrongs were always committed by the characters who were Hindu. It asked why the films and the advertisements only questioned rituals and practices or made fun of Hindu gods and leaders.
As a part of the survival act and surviving the boycotts, the foundation for a shift in narrative was laid in time. The success of Uri and other such movies did the rest.
Commercialisation & Opportunistic Approach
Can we blame Bollywood for the commercialisation and opportunism of seeking success and safety by making films about a particular ideology? And if that is right, where is the debate on any change? The industry has always believed in encashing opportunities and trends.
This may be a change of demand and not necessarily a need for political favours. The political climate in the country has nudged the writers-producers to course-correct the earlier skewed content.
Net-net: The Cycle may not last
The trend may last a little longer before the audience starts reacting against overt political content.
It has always happened in Indian cinema. A series of successful films opened doors for many more films with similar content. By the time they get released one after another – the audience is already satiated and starts revolting against unidimensional storytelling.
The interested parties have sweet-timed their initiatives for peak engagement at the right time- the election time.
But, by the time we hit the festive period this year post-elections, this content polarisation would be on the way out. So, if you are associated with some projects on similar lines, please tread cautiously unless you are well-funded by interested parties and the risk has already been taken care of.
Aside
As I saw the poster for ‘Bastar’, I remembered an evening brainstorming session in Raipur on the naxal issue and possible non-intrusive solutions. In that meeting, as part of the ideation process, I suggested making a movie about the Naxal movement with the active participation of the government and the naxalites. The solution was seen as impractical- it was a period when people saw cinema more as entertainment than a possible role play in the solution.
Sanjeev Kotnala is a senior media and marketing services consultant, educator and now author. He writes on MxMIndia every Wednesday. His views here are personal
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