As India’s elections approach, some Bollywood films tap into Hindu nationalism to promote Modi politics

NEW DELHI (AP) — The movie trailer begins with an outline of the iconic glasses worn by Mohandas Gandhi, the leader who helped India win independence from British colonialists in 1947. . The outlines slowly flow against the backdrop of the pious songs that Gandhi loved. It morphs into what looks like his face.

Then a loud beat plays, followed by a rap song. The face has finally been revealed, but it is not Gandhi, but the actor who plays Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, the independence leader’s ideological nemesis and considered the source of India’s Hindu nationalism.

This is the same ideology that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has used to consolidate power as his ruling party moves forward with the goal of transforming a secular state into a Hindu one.

A glorious biopic of the early 20th century Hindu nationalist ideologue known as Swatantra Veer Savarkar, or Independence Fighter Savarkar, comes just weeks before the referendum that will decide India’s political direction. It will be released in Indian theaters on Friday ahead. For the next five years. The film joins a series of upcoming Bollywood releases and timing on polarizing issues that advance the political agenda of Prime Minister Modi and his government or criticize his critics. are doing the same.

Analysts say the use of popular cinema as a campaign tool to promote Hindu nationalism feeds into a divisive narrative that risks exacerbating already widening political and religious rifts in the country. It is said that it is spurring.

Film critic and Bollywood screenwriter Raja Sen said that in the past, cinema was a mix of nationalist films and films promoting national integration.

“The situation seems to be changing rapidly,” Sen said. “The scary thing is that these movies are being accepted now. It’s really scary.”

For more than a century, Bollywood has unified India in a country rife with religious, caste and political divisions. It’s the rare industry where religion plays the least role in determining the success of filmmakers and actors. Bollywood films have also championed political diversity and religious harmony.

But that culture appears to be under threat.

Under the Hindu nationalist Modi government, many filmmakers have made films glorifying the courage of past Hindu kings. A raucous, action-packed film glorifying the Indian Army has been a success at the box office. Political dramas and biopics glorifying Hindu nationalists are common.

The villains in most of these films are medieval Muslim rulers, leftist and opposition leaders, freethinkers and rights activists, and India’s arch-rival, neighboring Pakistan.

Sarvakar’s biopic, which advocated the future of India as a Hindu nation, is emblematic of this broader trend.

Two further upcoming films claim to uncover the conspiracy surrounding the 2002 train fire in western Gujarat that sparked one of India’s worst anti-Muslim riots. More than 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, were killed in the riots. It was a highly controversial episode in the political career of Mr. Modi, then chief minister of Gujarat.

Another film claims to expose an “anti-national agenda” at a university in the capital, New Delhi. The film is loosely based on Jawaharlal Nehru University, one of the country’s most liberal institutions that has been targeted by Hindu nationalists and leaders of Prime Minister Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party.

Many previous films that dealt with similar themes were successful at the box office. Prime Minister Modi’s party has often publicly supported them, despite criticism of his government for suppressing dissent.

In February, Prime Minister Modi himself praised the film “Article 370,” which celebrates the government’s controversial decision in 2019 to strip Indian-administered Kashmir of its special status and statehood. Some film critics called the film “factually incorrect” and “thinly veiled propaganda.” The film was favorable to the government.

“Kerala Story,” the ninth highest-grossing Hindi film of 2023, was widely criticized for its inaccurate portrayal of Christian and Hindu girls from India’s southern state of Kerala who were lured to the Islamic State group. It was done. The film was banned in two opposition-held states for being Islamophobic and destroying religious harmony.

At the same time, at least three states ruled by Modi’s party created tax-free tickets for movies and held large-scale screenings. Prime Minister Modi himself supported watching the film during state election rallies.

The film’s director, Sudipto Sen, said the film exposes “the relationship between religious fundamentalism and terrorism” through a human story, and is not intended to malign Muslims.

“We cannot ignore the emotional appeal of these films. In fact, all state governments should support them,” Sen said.

Sen’s other film, about the Maoist insurgency in the jungles of central India, was released on March 15. Apart from the rebels, the main villains were rights activists and leftist intellectuals. One critic called it “a two-hour diatribe against communism.”

While such films are praised by India’s right-wing, other Bollywood films are targeted by Hindu nationalists.

Right-wing groups have frequently threatened to block the release of films deemed offensive to Hinduism. Hindu activists often call on social media to boycott such films.

Some filmmakers caught up in India’s increasingly restrictive political environment say they are resorting to self-censorship.

“People like me feel helpless,” says O’Neill, a national award-winning filmmaker.

O’Neal has made films that highlight LGBTQ+ rights and have received widespread acclaim. In 2022, O’Neill is inspired by a former Indian army major who falls in love with a local man in disputed Kashmir, where armed rebels seeking independence or union with Pakistan have fought Indian rule for decades. I wanted to make a movie that had a different meaning. The film’s script was rejected by the Indian Ministry of Defense on the grounds that it “distorts the image of the Indian Army”, the filmmakers said.

“Look at the films that are being released now. Any film that goes against the government’s claims is called anti-national. There is no fair basis. In fact, there is an atmosphere of fear,” O’Neill said. .

O’Neill noted that polarizing films make up most of the recent releases, but films that focus on discrimination against minorities face hurdles but tend to make big money. Yes, indicating a desire for such content.

Some say the rise in divisive films reflects the opportunism of filmmakers.

“The idea that this is the path to success has permeated Bollywood,” says critic and screenwriter Raja Sen.

He said such films don’t make good business sense because of the noise they generate, even though they serve as the cinematic equivalent of a “WhatsApp forward,” a reference to misinformation and propaganda spread on social messaging platforms. He said that it was accurate.

“Indian cinema needs an artistic rebellion. I hope we start to see that,” Sen said.