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Hasham Kaiser (23110270)

Bollywood and Hindu Nationalism: a never-ending tale

Updated: Dec 5, 2021

After the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992, the spread of Hindu Nationalism drastically increased within India where the Indian identity was exclusively seen to be as a Hindu. Secularism became merely a concept and Bollywood became a source of not only entertainment, but something much larger.


After the change within the Indian political landscape, especially with the rise of political parties such as Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Bollywood became the perfect medium for spreading the idea of Hindu Nationalism within the Indian societal realm. Absurdly fake portrayal of Pakistanis, depiction of Mughals as barbarians, and introduction of religious heroes to instill a sense of Hindu identity are just some of the ways Bollywood transformed.


One of the ways Bollywood films seek to define being an Indian as a “true Hindu” is through a depiction of Muslims and Pakistan in a bad light. In many films such as “Bombay” and “Mission Kashmir”, Muslim characters are made to be terrorists with further links to Pakistan. In other words, Islam is considered as an ideology which threatens the sanctity of the sacred Hindu land, India. Furthermore, it is imperative to consider that such portrayals do not incline with reality at all; for example, in most movies, Pakistan is shown as a rural place with mostly men wearing Shalwar Kameez and wearing scarfs around their necks. The absurdist part is them referring to one another as “Janaab” which rarely ever happens in reality.





Even though these small details might seem to be insignificant, it is imperative to realize the consequences they might have on the audiences. With rising mob lynching and false accusations against Muslims in India, the producers of the Indian cinema have a greater responsibility on their shoulders. Where on one hand, we have actresses like Kangana Ranaut who are capitalizing their political careers based on this Hindutva Ideology, we need others to make a better example in countering such ideologies. Nonetheless, with the deteriorating state of what Bollywood once was and the rise of Hindu Nationalism within India, the future certainly seems to be scary.

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Absolutely! And I think the Indian film industry is selling Islamophobia more and more and the crew is increasing day by day. Kohl-ed eyes, devilish gaze, kurta, meat eating style and aggressively dancing are some of the standards these films have set for Muslim characters. Over the decades, different templates and stereotypes where set from a ‘terrorist’ or a ‘jihadi’ to now an ancient devilish ruler mostly a Mughal emperor. The changes undoubtedly differ from the social, political atmosphere of the country.


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The representation of Muslim or Pakistani people in Bollywood is absurd and has serious consequences for their lifestyles. In "Bajrangi Bhaijaan," Pakistan is shown as a rural, impoverished place populated solely by white bearded males. In India, misrepresentations like this lead to violence against Muslims. The fact that Bollywood has adopted the habit of presenting Muslims as adversaries in order to promote Hindu nationalism is problematic. Also, one of its consequences is that the audience finds it humorous and entertaining, which reflects in behaviours toward Muslims. However, if we consider Pakistan's recent position and the involvement of religious parties in light of the recent religious mob attack on a Sri Lankan manager, I believe we are on our way to…

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Absolutely agree with your take on this! There is absolutely no doubt that since Zia's regime and the Islamization policies introduced by him, Pakistan was underway of becoming a parallel of what India is today. The only difference is that India still calls itself "secular" while after PTI's takeover, the government explicitly signifies the aim to reestablish the Islamic state of Pakistan - whose religious values were lost down the way - through absurd policies, media censorships, and establishment of entities such as "Rehmat-ul-Alameen".

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05 déc. 2021

The stereotypes associated with Muslims and Islam are not only limited to Bollywood rather we have seen movies even from Hollywood where Muslims are shown as terrorists, uneducated, and extremists. You are right that these stereotypes lead to creating hate and violence. But movie directors and producers often forget these things in order to make money or for more business. Since the 1990s, we have seen Bollywood cinema bringing movies that depict Pakistanis as their enemies. Even in recent years, we have seen movies such as "URI" and "SHERSHAH" where Pakistanis were shown as cowards and chauvinists while Indians were brave and forgiving. Sadly, these things do not stop here as they affect their viewers adversely. It is a time…

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Agreed! This absurd depiction of Muslims does exist in Hollywood as well and with the rise in Islamophobia in the US in recent years, it does not take much effort to realize the role of media in fueling such hatred. As far as Bollywood is concerned, not only do they portray Pakistanis in a certain manner but they aim to falsely reconstruct the entire history of the Indian subcontinent by depicting Mughals and all other Muslim rulers as barbarians who thrive in the name of violence.

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