Last month, a movie about the 2002 Godhra train burning incident hit theatres, and the Prime Minister and his entire cabinet attended the screening.
Just days after the demise of former PM Dr Manmohan Singh, a war broke out on twitter between actor Anupam Kher and filmmaker Hansal Mehta. This over Kher’s movie The Accidental PM based on Manmohan singh, being called one of the worst Hindi movies ever made and an example of how media was used to tarnish the name of a good man. And Hansal Mehta who was the creative director of the movie supported this statement.
Since 2014, there’s been a surge in political and ideological films, and more are lined up for release in 2025—one even focusing on Nathuram Godse.
A propaganda film, in its simplest form, is a movie designed to push a particular agenda—be it political, religious, or cultural—and often used to shape narratives or manipulate public opinion.
In India, these films aren’t exactly new. But since 2014, there’s been a shift. We’ve seen an increase in the number of such films, many of which push the Hindutva agenda, target minorities and political opponents, and fuel polarization.
As we step into the new year, it seems like the right time to take a closer look at how propaganda films have been used as political tools in India.
We’ll also look at how dictators like Hitler used cinema for similar purposes—and how what’s unfolding in India today bears an uncanny resemblance.
This story was originally published in thenewsminute.com. Read the full story here.
