Following the popularity of the historical drama Gadar 2, a flurry of political dramas and nationalist films are about to arrive in theaters in the run-up to the general elections of next year.
In the forthcoming movie Emergency, Kangana Ranaut will play Indira Gandhi, and a biography of Atal Bihari Vajpayee is also in development. The Vaccine War, directed by Vivek Agnihotri, known for movies like The Kashmir Files, will be released later this month. Maa Tujhe Salaam, the patriotic movie starring Sunny Deol, will have a sequel, it has been revealed.
Film industry analysts anticipate nationalist films’ continued appeal and expect them to have an impact on the cultural environment in a pre-election year since they resonate with existing ideologies.
“The general public welcomes and finds appealing anything pro-India. According to Yusuf Shaikh, business head of feature films at production and distribution company Percept Pictures, “Gadar 2 clearly altered the game, and similarly, if created like a human drama with the right cinematic components that manage to engage spectators, it may be a successful genre.
A normal election campaign combines a variety of strategies, including print, social media, and on-the-ground activity. Thus, movies may undoubtedly be a powerful and well-liked instrument, according to Shaikh.
The public cannot, however, be duped. Experts in the field indicated that although subtly appealing to people’s patriotism is acceptable, overtly disparaging a group of people in order to stir up trouble might backfire.
Films like 72 Hoorain and Akelli, which dealt with divisive topics, struggled financially during the last several months. Patriotism sells, according to a trade expert who asked to remain anonymous, but non-Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled states, particularly in South India, don’t enjoy the movies. Tamil Nadu banned The Kerala Story from being screened earlier this year due to concerns about law and order. The movie was formerly prohibited in West Bengal.
Apart from just seeing these films in theaters, according to political analyst Manisha Priyam, many viewers are also exposed to the concepts and topics through fragments, such as scenes and conversation, that are spreading on social media. “It is obvious that the present administration supports strong nationalist and pro-Hindu attitude. They don’t often project themselves in an exceptional way. In the lead-up to elections, such films are unquestionably tools for establishing a cultural context, Priyam said.
Political expert Shivam Shankar Singh claimed that movies have a significant role in influencing people’s opinions all around the world. It is unclear whether these movies will be watched by the general public, but it may stoke nationalist feeling in a year leading up to elections.
