When Bollywood Comes Around And Acquires A New Avatar

By Nitin Sawant, Hindudvesha.Org 

Bollywood is fast shedding its Leftist skin, and its new avatar is sending shockwaves through the old ecosystem of parochial filmmakers, actors, and critics alike.

Bollywood is slowly moving away from its traditional leftist narratives to embrace nationalistic themes, causing discomfort among established filmmakers, actors, and critics.

The industry’s shift is highlighted by the success of films like ‘Swantatrya Veer Savarkar,’ which receive acclaim for their portrayal of patriotic figures and events, diverging from the previous focus on leftist and secular themes.

Critics and filmmakers who previously dominated the industry’s narrative, promoting leftist ideologies, now find themselves sidelined.

This new direction in Bollywood is also seen as aligning with the nationalistic policies of India’s current government, leading to accusations of bias and propaganda from the industry’s old guard and certain sections of the media.

Despite the controversy, this evolution in Bollywood reflects a broader shift in Indian society and politics, with increasing demand for content that celebrates India’s heritage, achievements, and patriotic sentiments.

Dollface star and Canadian actress Shay Mitchell had a thing or two to say about the bullying she had received earlier in her career, “I realized that bullying never has to do with you. It’s the bully who’s insecure.” Now, Mitchell might have eventually gotten the correct perspective on her tormentors, and that has probably liberated her from her fears, but has anyone wondered what happened to the bullies when their bluff and bluster were called off and were left exposed as emotional wrecks in search of acceptance? Did they make peace with their distressed inner-self and work towards their healing? Or did they keep hurling their nastiness in their hunt for new targets to torture, or keep regurgitating their victimhood? Well, the simple point to be noted here is that when the power dynamic shifts, it is the bullies who go on a rant about being bullied.

A case in point is a recent biased, blinkered, and bigoted report put out by an ultra-Leftist reporter from one of the world’s biggest wire services – The Associated Press, on the changing face of Bollywood in India, and how it’s hurting the old bullies that had hitherto flourished. Although the biggest hurt evident from this prejudiced piece of reporting is how the new Bollywood is helping the cause of the nationalistic government, as a stream of whodunit blockbusters based on real-life events and biopics on patriotic personalities keep getting released every Friday, on the eve of upcoming general elections of 2024.

Left Vs. New Bollywood?

It would be a waste of time and resources to debunk AP’s Bollywoodian bunkum balderdash but let us treat this article as symptomatic of the state of mind of the Bollywood rejects, who are left wondering why, when, and how the new audience has passed them by, and extrapolate further. The AP article is based on the rant of the sum of two mediocrities that defined the ol’ Bollywood, fulminating over the new superhit ‘Swantatrya Veer Savarkar,’ based on the life and times of freedom fighter Vinayak Damodar Savarkar that’s getting rave reviews from the audience and the industry alike.

Raja Sen, the movie critic, comes out petrified and intimidated by the success of ‘Savarkar,’ “The scary part is that these films are being accepted now. It is truly frightening.”

Raja Sen, the movie critic, comes out petrified and intimidated by the success of ‘Savarkar,’ “The scary part is that these films are being accepted now. It is truly frightening.” For those who came in late, Raja Sen happens to be a part of the inglorious trio of film reviewers who filmmaker Sanjay Gupta of ‘Kaante’ fame blames for the demise of ol’ Bollywood. According to Gupta, Raja Sen, along with Rajeev Masand and Anupama Chopra, caballed up on every Bollywood filmmaker who did not follow their favorite Leftist template of filmmaking and almost had the industry in a make-or-break situation with their critics’ syndicate. This coterie’s rein eventually led to all the Islamist-appeasing, Hindu-phobic, boring, disconnected theatrical fare from Bollywood that pleased these reviewers galore but simply pushed the audiences away.

Then the AP piece leans on the opinion of Onir – a gay filmmaker who has made a series of woke flops on LGBTQ+ rights and blames Bollywood for being homophobic whose last project on a gay subject involving an Indian army major and a local Kashmiri jihadi was shot down by India’s defense ministry because it was “distorting the image of Indian army.” “People like me feel disempowered,” laments Onir, and apparently, the partisan opinion of these two fringe Bollywood personalities is enough to justify tarnishing India’s nationalistic silver-screen fervor with a broad brush, according to the AP.

It is interesting to scratch the surface here and look at the sometimes tenuous and often accentuated relationship of Bollywood with politics and the new animal that it has become in the last decade or so.

Bollywood + Politics = Willing Bedfellows

For starters, Indian politicians were always in awe of the power of movies in shaping public opinion. Jawaharlal Nehru was smart to realize that the Hindi movie medium was the best of all, to take his version of democracy, secularism, and minority appeasement across the country and mainstream it. “Nehru and his policies were always part of our sub-consciousness. He used to say that big dams and industries are the temples of modern India. We had internalized his words,” says filmmaker Yash Chopra.

‘Many films, including those made by Yash’s brother BR Chopra, are filled with shots of big dams being constructed. There’s a spirit of sharing and camaraderie among the workers, all united in the task of nation-building. Songs such as “Saathi haath badhana” exemplify this.’ Many of these movies made sure to stick to the pet Nehruvian theme of portraying industrialists and businessmen as villains, while the poorest of the lot were shown as good guys. Romanticizing poverty and collective community efforts to rise in life were the typical themes of the early social dramas. The films of yore also had one element that matched with the political thought of the establishment then – minority appeasement. ‘For instance, says Ira Bhaskar of JNU’s School of Art and Aesthetics, the Muslim in cinema was invariably a nationalist: noble and committed.’

Nehru never thought twice before sending the idea of freedom of expression for a toss. He would also brook no defiance to his stature as a great statesman; in 1951, he promptly jailed Bollywood lyricist Majrooh Sultanpuri for comparing him to Hitler and branding him as “Commonwealth ka das.”

So, were the Nehruvian years the golden age for Indian filmmaking? Not at all… Nehru never thought twice before sending the idea of freedom of expression for a toss. He would also brook no defiance to his stature as a great statesman; in 1951, he promptly jailed Bollywood lyricist Majrooh Sultanpuri for comparing him to Hitler and branding him as “Commonwealth ka das.” Why, when MS Sathyu’s partition film, ‘Garam Hava,’ was kept hanging by the Censor Board for eight months, it was a message from the ruling Congress party to the Hindi film industry to stay away from this subject. Why? Any honest film examining the partition would have also shown the deaths of millions of Hindus while blaming Congress for the partition, and this would have only strengthened the hands of Congress’ opposition. Congress took all steps to keep Bollywood in check and compliant with their agenda.

It has remained that way since then – in the pocket of the Left and conforming to the Congress-Left’s ideals. The reviewers shot down any cinematic portrayal that did not match their vision, denied shows, and derided from all platforms. Filmmakers who wore their Leftist creds on their sleeve were tom-timed as whizkids brimming with creative talent. Remember how Vishal Bhardwaj openly boasted of “If I am not a leftist, I am not an artist” to promote his ‘Haider’ – a biased fare on Kashmir insurgency that sought to whitewash the Pakistani jihadis and brand the majestic Martand Temple (Sun Temple) as the devil’s den (Shaitaan ki Gufa). Anti-Hinduism plank was baked in practically every script that got greenlit; earlier, the agenda was subtly driven via songs and situational comedy, but later, it became the prime mover of most blockbusters. Sadly, this addiction to Bollywood had Hindus in a ‘frog in boiling water’ situation, wherein they let the small transgressions pass by, and by the time they noticed the raging Hinduphobia on their screens, their culture and identity were practically in boiling hot water.

That is the generational damage done by the Bollywood of the yore… They mangled the Hindu identity to such an extent that its effects were seen in the politics of the nation, where nationalistic parties and organizations were simply looked down on by the electorate and public at large, even when they were fighting for Hindu rights.

What exactly did Bollywood achieve by pushing an overt anti-Hindu agenda in its films? Well, IIM-Ahmadabad did a study to ascertain the effects of stereo typicality in Bollywood, and the results should shock you to the core. They found that most Indians were projected as narrow-minded, conservative, and discriminating in the movies. In contrast, most Pakistanis were depicted as open-minded and non-discriminating. Although there’s much more to be worried about… In 78% of the movies, promiscuous women had a Christian name; 58% of the corrupt politicians in films had a Hindu Brahmin last name, and 62% of the corrupt businessmen in films had a Vaishya last name. 84% of the Muslims in films were shown as strongly religious and honest, even when they were depicted as criminals, and 74% of the films presented Sikhs as laughable. 

Bollywood could portray whatever agenda it deems fit, but did it impact the audience? How much of this Goebbelsian propaganda worked? Here comes the shocker: when this data was shown to 150 school students, 94% felt that these stereotypical representations were authentic. That is the generational damage done by the Bollywood of the yore… They mangled the Hindu identity to such an extent that its effects were seen in the politics of the nation, where nationalistic parties and organizations were simply looked down on by the electorate and public at large, even when they were fighting for Hindu rights.

The inflection point that changed Bollywood.

Bollywood’s gravy train could have kept chugging at the same breakneck speed while serving the same bigoted fare, but Covid and lockdown stopped it right in its tracks. With theaters closed and no new programming happening on television, Indian audiences were forced to sit back and rediscover their connections to their roots. Doordarshan’s repeated transmission of their old hit epic, ‘Ramayana,’ also helped. And then every single Bollywood fan found her heart torn apart by the tragic suicide of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, who was apparently depressed by the harassment subjected to him by the Bollywood bigwigs. Suddenly, the crass nature of the film industry, their drug-addled orgies, and the culture of nepotism – all added to the millstone around Bollywood’s neck. Everything was questioned, and it was here that Bollywood’s bigotry towards Hindus and their steadfast commitment to the Left-liberals and the underworld got showcased in the harshest spotlight. Everything has gone downhill for Bollywood since then…

…the crass nature of the film industry, their drug-addled orgies, and the culture of nepotism – all added to the millstone around Bollywood’s neck.

What also hastened ol’ Bollywood’s demise was the arrival of new content that unveiled true stories of Hindu suffering at the hands of Islamists and the Left. ‘The Kashmir Files’ was the first to expose the evil nexus; it also went on to create a new set of cinema audiences that had new expectations from the new breed of Indic filmmakers. ‘The Kashmir Files’ was soon followed by the equally hard-hitting ‘The Kerala Story,’ which portrayed the ISIS penetration in India’s Southern states and the dangers to India’s innocent Hindu and Christian girls. Both these films were roaring successes at the box office, and their templates practically forged the new Bollywood that called for an honest, unapologetic portrayal of issues that plague society and threaten the country’s sovereignty.

It was here that the ol’ Bollywood got flummoxed to the point of exasperation. They were neither comfortable nor conversant with the new taste of the audience. Many imagined that the success of the Kashmir and Kerala films was just a flash in the pan and that the audience would return to the song-and-dance routine when the novelty was over. Too bad that’s not happening… Mega-budget productions and star vehicles keep collapsing at the box office every other Friday to date. Bollywood is now at its wit’s end – clueless and nonplussed, unable to crack the theatrical puzzle.

Naturally, the dirty tricks department of Bollywood and the Left-liberals had to be kicked into action. By writing nasty reviews and global op-eds on nationalistic films, they have tried to throttle the release of these films by creating an impression on the programmers of the national multiplex chains that these new-age films are violent portrayals of untruths that are not suitable for family viewing. Furthermore, their ecosystem has been kicked into action, wherein buyers at the OTT and satellite channels refuse to lock in these new-age films. Imagine a roaring hit vehicle like ‘The Kerala Story’ took around six months to lock in an OTT / Satellite channel partner…

…this [Bollywood’s recent shift to patriotic movies] is causing untold misery to all those who are against the rise of India as a nation and civilization.

The Left-liberal ecosystem’s task of combating the national sentiment in Bollywood has now gotten incredibly harder as the Indian general elections of 2024 were announced. A long line-up of nationalistic movies – aiming to cash in on the election fever – is sure to give a severe headache to the opposition and the ol’ Bollywood ecosystem, as almost all movies are slated to portray the Congress party in bad light and the ruling BJP as the savior. The ‘Savarkar’ movie has cut down the aura of Congress-Left’s icons in Gandhi-Nehru, leaving their legacy in tatters. Then there is ‘Article 370′, which highlights the Congress’ role in keeping the Kashmir issue boiling and depicts PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah as the rescuers and integrators of Kashmir. And this is causing untold misery to all those who are against the rise of India as a nation and civilization. Ergo, the corny op-eds, and articles, like the one featured by Associated Press… They worry that movies highlighting the achievement of new India could also give a huge philip to the current BJP administration in their ambitious program of achieving a two-thirds majority in the 2024 polls.

Most of these movies are even highlighted by Bharat’s PM Modi, who pulled no punches in praising ‘Article 370’. The moot question is: is it a bad precedent to use the new Bollywood’s soft power to push a nationalistic agenda? Absolutely not… Hollywood, too, has been used several times in the past by America to build consensus on contentious issues and work towards furthering America’s agenda. When the image of the US armed forces was heavily battered after the Vietnam War, the Pentagon and the CIA worked closely with Hollywood to create a fictitious ‘Top Gun.’  Such was its success that the armed forces had recruitment tables set outside the theaters screening ‘Top Gun.’ Again, they worked closely with Hollywood on ‘Ironman’ to counter the public sentiment on interfering in the local issues of other countries. ‘Act of Valor’ started out as a recruitment ad for the Navy before being pitched to Hollywood. Likewise, ‘Captain Marvel’ and ‘Alias’ were structured as military recruitment vehicles for young women. Did you know that it was the CIA that pitched ‘Argo’ to Ben Affleck, who subsequently went on to grab the Oscars?

Can the new, improved Bollywood pull off a similar job for new India? The signs are already there if the global success and acceptance of ‘RRR’ is anything to go by. Besides, the Indian state and PM Modi did outline his commitment to Bollywood’s regime change here when he openly applauded ‘The Kerala Files,’ ‘The Kashmir Files’, ‘Uri’ ‘Rocketry’ and ‘Toilet: Ek Prem Katha’ in his speeches. His backing and the success of these Indic films should spur many such projects that could uncover numerous historical malfeasances and bring forth an Indic movie ecosystem, one movie at a time.

The Road Ahead…

Obviously, the road ahead for the new Bollywood is rocky and fraught with danger. Warped op-eds like the AP piece will always try to taint their efforts and vilify them globally, seeking to restrict their international box-office collections. Besides, you can never discount ol’ Bollywood and its dirty tricks department. Now that it has dawned on them that their repertoire needs to change pronto, there is a lurking danger that ol’ Bollywood, too, would attempt to bring its version of nationalistic stories to the screen. But where is the danger in that? Well, haven’t we already seen how they try to rationalize the patriotic sentiment or look to mainstream Hinduphobic actors? An excellent script like ‘Shabaash Mithu’ – a sports drama on India’s women’s cricket team captain Mithali Raj – was wasted as the makers went with a rabid Hinduphobic star in Tapsee Pannu. Similarly, ’83’ – a mega film on India’s first World Cup success of 1983 – was ruined by ol’ Bollywood’s needless itch to give a free pass to Pakistan and show them in glowing light.

On promoting Hinduphobic actors, there is also this recent controversy on Vikrant Massey, who is slated to star in the ‘Sabarmati Report’ – one of the two upcoming films on the Godhra train massacre. Basking in the aftermath of the success of his recent ’12th fail’, Vikrant Massey’s promos on ‘Sabarmati Report’ were making a mark on the audience’s mind till it was revealed how Massey in the past has made several distasteful comments on social media on Hindu gods and goddesses. The subsequent melee sent Massey’s handlers into a tizzy, deleting all his old bigoted posts, but questions over his Hinduphobic attitude persist. Will the film be at least honest about the horrible events that transpired in Godhra? Remains to be seen… One must be wary here, considering that the film is being made by Alt Balaji, the production house that made its name and fame by dishing out soft-porn dramas.

Indians could do well to be on guard against the old Bollywood, which will not go out of the frame without kicking and screaming and might still bully its way around, with some support from its global ecosystem.

Then again, can we even overlook the ol’ Bollywood’s penchant for taking up true stories and then conveniently reversing the religions of its heroes and villains to appease the Islamists? Remember how Yash Raj Film’s ‘Chak De India,’ which was based on the real-life story of Mir Ranjan Negi, India’s goalkeeper in the 1982 Asian Games final – where India had lost 1-7 to Pakistan – saw a religion reversal wherein Shah Rukh Khan played the role of a Muslim hockey player whose very patriotism was questioned, as he failed to convert a penalty shot against Pakistan. Several victimhood tropes were used in the film, as his Hindu and Sikh neighbors brand him a traitor while the Muslim hero gallantly swallows all the insults and still pursues glory for his country… 

All said, a new Bollywood that aims to power India’s global ambition through its honest portrayal of Indic content is always welcome. Still, Indians could do well to be on guard against the old Bollywood, which will not go out of the frame without kicking and screaming and might still bully its way around, with some support from its global ecosystem.  (hindudvesha.org)