Bollywood Bandwagon of Propaganda Films: JNU: Jahangir National University, Godhra, The Sabarmati Report, and More

Ever since the BJP won the general elections in 2014, the party has been advancing its political agenda with increasing boldness each day.

To influence a nation of nearly 1 billion people, the country's largest party employs various tools, and Bollywood is among them. The recent surge in 'propaganda films' has not gone unnoticed, starting with "Kashmir Files," and the list continues to grow. Reportedly, major production houses have ten new releases scheduled before the 2024 general elections, clearly aimed at promoting Modi’s agenda. These films openly criticize the opposition, critics, and even the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi.

This trend was also evident during the 2019 general elections, with films like PM Modi’s biopic starring Vivek Oberoi, "Uri: The Surgical Strike," and "The Accidental Prime Minister" (targeting Manmohan Singh). These movies either glorify Modi and his achievements or attack rival politicians and universities.

The films are designed to propagate Islamophobic conspiracies commonly circulated by Hindu right-wing networks, not to mention the prominent news channels that function as government cheerleaders.

"This is part of a larger attempt to 'take over' the Hindi film industry, similar to other forms of popular culture that have been infiltrated," said Ira Bhaskar, a retired professor of cinema studies at JNU. Bhaskar, who served on the country’s censor board until 2015, was referring to the prevalence of Hindu nationalist narratives in popular culture forms like music, poetry, and books.

The recently released "Article 370" on February 23 also addresses the Central government’s decision to revoke the special status granted to Jammu and Kashmir. Directed by National Award-winning Aditya Suhas Jambhale, the film stars Yami Gautam in the lead role.

Upcoming films include a biopic of Hindu nationalist V D Savarkar, known for his controversial legacy, "Accident or Conspiracy: Godhra," and "The Sabarmati Report," which claims to “reveal” the “real story” behind the 2002 Godhra train burning, in which 59 Hindu pilgrims died, sparking India’s worst riots resulting in 2,000 lives lost. At the time, Modi was the chief minister of Gujarat.

Another propaganda movie, JNU – Jahangir National University, earlier this week released poster of first look with the tagline, “Can one educational university break the nation?”

Written and directed by Vinay Sharma,  and produced by Pratima Datta, the movie features Urvashi Rautela, Siddharth Bodke, Vijay Raaz, Piyush Mishra, Ravi Kishan, Atul Pandey, and Pyaar Ka Punchnama fame Sonnalli Seygall and is slated to hit theatres on April 5.

Bollywood’s penchant for such films can be attributed mainly to government retribution or simply as a strategic move to cash in on on the nation's political mood.

Previously, Modi government has shown outward support to films like "The Kashmir Files" and "The Kerala Story." BJP units organized free screenings of these films, expanding their audience, while many BJP-ruled state governments waived their taxes. Modi himself praised both films, granting them greater legitimacy.