All die-hard Bollywood fans would say that the industry is just not the same anymore. All movie industries were hit extremely hard by the pandemic, but Bollywood is finding its own sweet time getting out of the slump. The major reason why theatrical business is still mediocre is because the content is not as refreshing. But one genre seems to still keep itself alive in Hindi cinema, and that is patriotic films. And it is truly peculiar why this genre has survived.
These days, patriotic films are most likely to be greenlit by any producer when they get their hands on them. But this is not just to diversify their portfolio, this is an attempt to draw in a guaranteed amount of money. This was, however, not always the case. Patriotic films, usually featuring the Indian army, have been a common occurrence for a long time. But those films did not perform well compared to their modern day contemporaries.
The plots of today’s nationalist films all feature an intense hate towards Pakistan, courtesy of the tension between the two countries. Almost all titles released in the recent years feature some or the other dig at the country. Individual character arcs are given less priority, but the staging of any nationalist film has to feature a Pakistan element. If not, the film is most likely to have a mediocre performance in the box office. To this, a macho Indian soldier is added, who gives his heart and soul in giving hell to the enemy. The moment the Indian side counters the opponent side, chants of patriotic slogans echo in the theatre. However, it is ironic to see that female-led army films have all failed at the box office. Kangana Ranaut’s recent Tejas collected just above ₹5.4 crore (approx. USD 655K) and theatres are looking to discontinue the film for its performance. Another film Codename: Tirangaa only got in ₹1.4 crore (USD 140K). The cast of this film has previously been a part of much better-performing films, but their stint as a nation-serving soldier is a nightmare.
But what the rest of the world needs to understand is that the definition of patriotism has changed in India. Today, if you refuse to agree with any decision the government is making, you are what ‘patriots’ call an anti-national. There are multiple factors that have created an environment like this, which are all very incidental. On a closer look at Indian society, you will find it overwhelmed with communal hate. And the rise of this hate has festered a situation, where any media that does not glorify the country is not seen as patriotic. Religion has become a key criterion in deducing one’s patriotism.
Perhaps the best army film in Bollywood is Lakshya, which was released way back in 2004. It revolved around the central character, Karan (Hrithik Roshan), who leads an aimless life until he decides to join the army on a whim. Another anomaly among today’s films is Shershaah, a biopic on the Capt. Vikram Batra. In the film, Batra (Sidharth Malhotra) very poignantly tells his troops, that he isn’t here to yell about and deliver a speech on patriotism. The film today isn’t remembered much for its bravery, but the tragic love story of Batra and his beloved. These films, despite being centered on one single person, still deliver the brief on patriotism. They show what patriotism is supposed to be felt by someone, and not what it is supposed to look like.
People fail to recognize the underlying theme of patriotism in many films today that are tossed into the drama category. Both Shahrukh Khan and Salman Khan – the two biggest faces of Bollywood – have delivered a lot of patriotic films, but they are not regarded as such. The former has films like Swades and Chak De! India to his name, while the latter has Bajrangi Bhaijaan. Both are equally good films that make audiences tear up whenever they watch the movie. Today, those positive reviews stay, but will never regard the emotions they cause as patriotism. The drama is used to heighten the emotion that one is supposed to feel when they think of India, if not for anything else.
Indian nationalist cinema is feeding into the twisted thought of jingoism, which is mistaken as patriotism by many. Popular films like The Kashmir Files have got that popularity out of riding on this wave of jingoism. While showing the enemy country as an antagonist, that same negative lens is then furthered upon the Indian minorities as well. The industry is not held accountable by anyone, thereby continuing to spur hatred amongst the country, shamelessly. There has been a spike in the state’s interference with cinema, and it is done brazenly. Ministers specially went to watch The Kashmir Files, and also encouraged other administration workers to do the same. Back when theatres had just reopened after the pandemic, the first film to be released (re-released, actually) was a 2016 biopic on the Prime Minister.
There is a definite need of nationalist films in cinema, period. There is a reason it exists as a genre. But what the movie industry needs to understand is this genre differs from propaganda. Once cinema becomes a mouthpiece to an ill-suited administration, the project immediately loses its title as cinema. History is testament to how visual media has been key to developing hateful mindsets among scores of people. And in an era of modernity, India still finds itself in an extremely polarized climate, with occurrences of communal violence still rampant. There are, of course, numerous reasons for a condition like this, but media of message dissemination also have a hand in its creation. Cinema has a responsibility to instill the right message amongst its audiences, given its power on people. It is becoming seemingly difficult for anyone to not be affected by it, especially when any ruling authority uses cinema as a tool for their own benefit.