Bollywood’s War of Narratives

The Hindi film industry’s old formula of sanitising Pakistan and demonising Indian society is now facing a box-office challenge from films putting national security and historical memory at the centre of the story.

There have always been two distinct, divergent streams in the so-called Hindi film industry or Bollywood, often derided as a lame replica of Hollywood or derogatorily referred to as ‘Urduwood.’

One stream that promoted an agenda-driven, ‘left-liberal’ hypothesis was historically on top. For these supposedly ‘left-liberal’ bleeding hearts, Pakistan was never an enemy; it was merely a blood brother separated by a border drawn by a white man. In their view, the Pakistani population harbours no enmity toward India and loves India through and through. The occasional assassinations, terrorist attacks, bomb blasts, continuous cross-border firing, and the rape, pillage, and murder of the Hindu populace are dismissed as nothing more than the actions of a handful of bigots. The rest of the Pakistani Muslim population is supposedly waiting to embrace Indians with open arms. Therefore, the narrative dictated that the creative minds of the Hindi film industry must always push the agenda of ‘Aman Ki Asha’ - the sacrosanct brotherhood. Never mind the country has to sacrifice a few hundred soldiers on the border, endure scores of murders by terrorists, or get bloodied by multiple bomb blasts. The Hindi film industry felt compelled to search for human stories that promote the chimerical ‘Aman Ki Asha’ as the one and only ethos of the nation.

Predominant Narrative

This became the predominant narrative in the Hindi film industry. The villain, therefore, was almost always a Seth ji, a Brahmin priest, or a Thakur. This dumbing down through pseudo-secularism created a piquant, unbalanced psyche.

Contrary to this narrative, there has always been a latent, subliminal anger against this dumbing down. Recently, with films like Dhurandhar and Dhurandhar 2: The Revenge, this existential, adversarial awareness has erupted like a torrent. The tyranny of this ‘left-liberal’ cabal scrambled for cover when this apocryphal agenda of ‘Aman Ki Asha’ was challenged by a direct identification of the enemy.

However, Bollywood being Bollywood went back to its drawing board to stage a counterattack. Main Wapas Aaunga and Batwara 1947 seem to be the testing moves of this counter-offensive.

The minuscule minority who long dominated the stage by giving themselves holier-than-thou airs of political correctness have suddenly found themselves exposed by the realistic depiction of Pakistan's adversarial nature in cinematic storytelling. They were challenged on their own sacred ground, and they were losing the box-office race. Since Bollywood ultimately respects success and the humongous revenue it generates, these charlatans were deeply disturbed by the Rs. 1,500 crores generated by the Dhurandhar films, as well as the success of The Kashmir Files and The Kerala Story. The fire bubbling in the Hindu psyche was finally given rightful expression through these creative expositions, sharpening the realization that Pakistan remains an adversary of India.

Old Cliches

The contrarians consequently decided to diminish this resurgence by resorting to the same old cliché of Hindustan-Pakistan bhai-bhai and Yeh Hindu qaum kahan se aayi. The strategy is to produce artistically agenda-driven human stories - whether true or fabricated – in order to devalue the resurrection of truth. Certain films are promoted simply to test the waters. They are showered with awards to lend them respectability, while an entire ecosystem of self-appointed gatekeepers across media houses and digital platforms extols their virtues. At the same time, choice expletives are hurled at films that counter their agenda, which are conveniently dismissed as ‘propaganda’ even when they prove wildly successful at the box office. This farce has been played over and over, albeit with diminishing results.

There is now a discernible change in the approach. Films projecting selective humanizing stories tend to devalue rightful national angst. Such films are now promoted with a vengeance to misguide an awakened psyche. The soapy drama is reserved for the Indian population, while the benefit of the doubt is perpetually granted to the adversary. Following the massive success of the Dhurandhar series, The Kashmir Files, and The Kerala Story, Bollywood was itching to strike back. Main Wapas Aaunga and Batwara 1947 are merely the initial shots fired in this clash of competing agendas. A manufactured narrative is attempting to stall the authentic expression of truth regarding the nature of the enemy.

They have a powerful ecosystem backing them, but the ultimate test lies with the audience. Bollywood only understands the language of money. If the audience rejects this dumbing down and hits them where it hurts most - at the box office - a true realization may finally set in. Otherwise, future narrative attacks will only become more vicious. The battle is no longer fought merely in the political arena, but in the creative one. The gladiators have unsheathed their swords, and the time for action is now.

(The writer is a Mumbai-based political commentator. Views personal.)