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VIRAL EXCLUSIVE
Aug. 24, 2023
Silver Screens & Political Scenes: Indian Cinema’s Ties to Politics
Recent controversies surrounding Sudipto Sen’s “The Kerala Story” (2023), regarding its alleged vilifying of the Muslim community, are opening the floodgates to discussions about Bollywood’s long history of peddling Islamophobia to its audience. With PM Modi’s Hindu nationalist leanings looming over the nation, Indian cinema finds itself embroiled in the insidious web of politics. By: Theng Min Yee
As the global media and film industry advances, on-screen portrayal of ethnic and religious communities are becoming increasingly authentic, diversified, and nuanced. The Disney+ series Ms Marvel (2022) is nearly exemplary in its wholesome and bona fide representation of a Muslim teen girl, aptly capturing its character’s Pakistani background and her relationship with religion in an authentic fashion. However, whilst Hollywood continues to make headway in its representation of ethnic and religious minorities, Bollywood appears glaringly stark in comparison.
The Kerala Story (2023)’s recent embroilment in accusations of Islamophobia points to the way Indian cinema remains bogged down by its skewed representations of ethnic minorities. The contentious film depicts the fictitious tale of a Hindu woman who converts to Islam, eventually becoming radicalised. In the Karnataka Assembly Elections of May this year, India’s PM Modi wielded The Kerala Story (2023) as a weapon against his political opponent, saying: “The Kerala Story film brings out terror conspiracies happening in that state. It is unfortunate that Congress can be seen standing with this terror trend that is seeking to ruin the country.” Modi’s campaign speech propelled Sudipto Sen’s film to the centre of a nationwide debate, sparking speculations of Bollywood pushing out propaganda films that share the ideology of PM Modi’s Hindu-nationalist government. Speculations of this nature have long existed and are intensifying with the new surge of ideologically charged films that are coming out of Indian cinema.
Beyond Bollywood’s sugar-coated dance melodies, extravagant melodrama, and larger-than-life heroes, we delve into the dark underbelly of Indian cinema’s troubling relationship with politics.
Weaponizing Cinema
In the study Coalition between Politics & Entertainment in Hindi Films: A Discourse Analysis, academics stated: “Indian cinema has always crystallised a view of Indian identity that it later projected and imposed more or less forcefully in order to comply as much with the current governmental ideology as with the market.” This assertion bodes true when looking at the clear pattern that has emerged in the Indian film industry, where a slew of films impart nationalism and partisan politics.
“I think this government and the prime minister Mr Modi himself, for the first time, has mobilised cinema as a propaganda tool,” says Ira Bhaskar to ABC News. Bhaskar, a retired professor of cinema studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University, noted that a wave of films which mirror the Modi government’s views and policies are emerging. “They’re all in line to be released before 2024,” she added, which is when the next national election will be held to determine if Modi reigns for a third term.
Amongst the fresh wave of ideologically charged films is Vivek Agnihotri’s The Kashmir Files (2022). The film was politically-polarising, becoming one of the highest-grossing films in India last year, whilst coming under fire for its inflections of Islamophobia and speculations of peddling Modi’s right-wing ideology. Agnihotri’s film owed some of its success to Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which gave out free or discounted movie tickets to get people into cinemas. The insidious effects of the film were on full display in theatres, where videos of some viewers venting their anger towards Muslims at the screenings went viral.
“Suck Up or Shut Up”
Whilst media and film are helmed as vehicles to transmit political agenda, they can be equally fatal to the reputation of political leaders. Earlier this year, Modi’s government was swift in their banning of BBC-produced film documentary India: The Modi Question (2023). The film is an inquiry into Modi’s role during the 2002 Gujarat riots that killed nearly a thousand Muslims. Though banning of the controversial film sparked riots in New Delhi, authorities had no qualms about prohibiting the film, with the Indian court even filing a defamation case against BBC.
Under Modi’s governance, the claws of censorship have also crept into streaming services – typically a space that is rid of government interference. Amazon Prime Series Tandav faced intense scrutiny and censure by the government, for its references to protests and police killings. When the show aired, Modi’s BJP filled criminal charges against the show’s starring actor Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, along with its creators.
“We didn’t know how things will unfold and what will happen. It was kind of a warning for people that you should be in your limits and just make the stuff we agree with,” Ayyub said to ABC News.
This climate of fear and forced compliance was also noted by Bollywood star, Swara, who said: “It’s very much a government and an atmosphere that does not at all try to hide the fact that if you want to work and if you want to sort of thrive in Bollywood you need to suck up or shut up.”
As the second largest film industry in the world, Indian cinema has no doubt established its unique cinematic style with success. However, it is nowhere near perfect. The fresh wave of backlash garnered by films like The Kerala Story (2023) has once again exposed the razor-edged thorns of politics, leaving filmmakers, actors, and disenfranchised minorities reeling from its biting effects.
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