Is Bollywood Becoming a Propaganda Tool? | Foreign Correspondent

[Applause] in Southern India a hype event is underway for a movie slated to be the biggest Blockbuster of the year one of the country's most visited Hindu temples is the backdrop he you wouldn't know it from looking at this Fanfare but behind the scenes things are tense the film was meant to be released months ago but there's a problem senior members of prime minister Narendra modi's party the BJP are threatening to ban the film he obviously the hype is massive but we're not getting any access t

o interview passing through this event the filmmakers I'm really worried about political controversies [Applause] the filmmakers have been frantically re-cutting this movie after BJP politicians accused it of mocking Hindu gods it's called adipurush based on the Hindu epic the ramayana [Music] [Applause] [Music] the stakes are high especially for its film stars who are among the most worshiped on Earth actually Bollywood together rendra modi's Reign that's changing want to work and if you want t

o thrive in Bollywood you have to shut up or shut up we have always made political films India has a history of making n number of political films you have made political films for last 100 years I think legal action or bans against films and TV shows one politician even put out a bounty on a famous film star's head and the prime minister is promoting films which follow his political goals and the message is clear follow our agenda or face the consequences [Music] [Applause] thank you thank you

[Music] it's me I'm in Mumbai home to India's biggest stars and a mecca for Bollywood fans [Music] this city is where the ultra Rich live next door to slums [Music] everywhere you look around there are massive billboards with the next big movies and TV shows that are coming out there are murals across the city of the biggest names in the industry this is very much the Hollywood of this country and if you want to make it in this industry you have to come to Mumbai [Music] tucked away in one of mu

mbai's alleys a group of aspiring stars is in rehearsals [Music] [Applause] if you say Bollywood I think it's like the air here in India it's like the air it's like what you breathe [Music] [Applause] films comes synonymous with Indian Cinema which spans many languages and genres [Music] samit nagdev is one of bollywood's leading film choreographers so when we're watching a cinema we become a cheerleader oh we want you know it's great and if it's if it's well made and it touches the Indian ethos

of Mythology and their culture you've got a winner there five and six and seven and eight and one Bollywood they think of fun and dancing but films have a major sway over audiences the impact of film is huge in our country I can tell you sometimes people are so influenced by what they see in films that they applied immediately to their real life this is where Bollywood comes to life for years Indian families have gathered in iconic Cinemas like this to watch movies this is a theater that's very

very historic Professor irabaska is one of the country's most prominent experts in Indian Cinema ADI purush is a retelling of the ramayan and so obviously it has a lot of the Hindu imagery she says she's been witnessing the transformation of films since Modi came to power [Music] what has changed after Modi came today I think this government and the Prime Minister Mr Modi himself really for the first time have mobilized Cinema as a propaganda too they've understood the power of Cinema not just

documentaries but actually fiction Cinema mainstream Cinema because mainstream Cinema has the ability to reach out to millions and millions of people [Music] Narendra Modi became the leader of the world's largest democracy nearly 10 years ago pushing the agenda that the secular nation is a Hindu state enacting laws that critics say have marginalized and persecuted religious minorities so the Hindu nationalist project is to claim India only for Hindus in other words it's a direct attack on minori

ties and especially the largest minority is the Muslim Community so the agenda really is to subjugate them in such a manner that they are invisible Hindu Pride was on full display in India's most internationally successful film RR which last year became the first Indian production to win an Oscar it's part of an influx of South Indian films now dominating the industry [Music] so in this clip where we're seeing this human Tower we're seeing a lot of color being used especially the color of saffro

n can you tell me why that's significant [Music] symbolic off a defines of the Colonial bar and the assertion of Indian identity right Indian cultural and religious identity the color actually in this particular sequence is more red has a more reddish tone which traditionally is also Rebellion RR tells a fictional story of South Indian Telugu revolutionaries becoming friends and it's inspired by Hindu texts the movie's director SS rajamouli denies the film supports the bjp's ideology critics lik

e era disagree it reinforces the government's agenda clearly by saying that Indians and Hindus have always been powerful and have been able to defeat the colonial powers so the government's agenda is to demonstrate again and again what they believe Indians have forgotten which is the greatness of Hindu civilization and the greatness of Our Heroes [Music] for those in the industry whose projects anger the government the backlash is severe one of India's up and coming stars is facing criminal char

ges for his lead role in a major Amazon Prime series at this popular celebrity haunt actor Muhammad zeeshinayub first read the script for the show then I first heard the idea it was for me it was like what was you are making Indian House of Cards it was offered the role on the series called dundove a political thriller his character was named Shiva after the Hindu god the script reflected the real life tense political climate including references to protests and police killings it's about politi

cs and the Dark Side of politics if you're making a show about politics it will be affected by the political scenario around you the show came out in 2021 and the Fallout was immediate in India insulting religion is a criminal offense BJP politicians made official complaints to police they accused the show's makers and zeitian of defaming the prime minister's office promoting hatred between religions and mocking Hindu gods it was politically motivated clearly and that is why they were doing it s

o there was something that they wanted to achieve and that is why that was happening and his colleagues were formally charged and police were monitoring his home it was ridiculous one of the most difficult period of my life those 10-15 days because we didn't know what is happening we didn't know how things will unfold and what will happen tandov's director apologized within days and announced they'd be cutting several scenes from the show deemed offensive the controversy put international stream

ing platforms on notice it was I think kind of a warning for people that you should be in your limits and just make the kind of stuff that we agree with organization's face is back on billboards across the city if convicted he's facing three years in jail films that align with the bjp's views receive a wave of support I'm heading to a film set to meet director vivec agnohar 3 who's responsible for one of India's highest grossing films last year the Kashmir files it was also polarizing today he's

making a new movie about India's homegrown covert vaccine lauded as the country's savior during the pandemic foreign [Music] war between greedy capitalistic Pharma lobbies versus a totally selfless women what kind of story does it tell about India to the rest of the world about commitment to humanity about a conviction that we can do it when everybody thought we can't do it like many Indian workplaces crew members start their day with a Hindu prayer so whichever film doesn't matter in India eve

rywhere they start with this you know then you look at her don't do anything don't do anything get up look at her like that so we are doing lot of these scenes with the antagonist of the film she's a journalist and how she manipulates media what she does with the media and how there's a media war going parallel on the scientists and how they are fighting India the journalist is the antagonist uh the bad journalist not all journalists are bad in fact journalists are very good people I am also a j

ournalism student of course why should it look natural we are acting now it should look like acting most of vivek's previous films flopped at the box office but his last film The Kashmir files was an unexpected Smash Hit doesn't matter see after Kashmir files it is the biggest success ever and there was a lot of pressure on me to repeat that and make a big film with big stars and how it happens every time pressure from her from everywhere from media people pair group and everybody expects that b

ecause uh when you your film is commercially very successful people want you to make bigger film and things like that this is the producer of the film the ex-wife Bollywood star palavi Joshi is featured in this movie She also starred in the Kashmir files and knows first hand the power of Cinema's influence on hearts and Minds Cinema is a good way to kind of teach the younger generation enough because audio visual mediums normally work and it leaves an image a lasting image on your minds silence

everybody silence take order part of the Kashmir falls's success came from a concerted government push eight BJP ruled States gave it a tax exemption and mandated that government employees could have days off work to go and see the film The bjp's National spokesperson bought free tickets for students in his local area and Prime Minister Modi held a private meeting with Vivek and pallavi when you know that the prime minister is kind of endorsing the film in a way you know that you're doing someth

ing right and you are doing something right for the country and for the citizens we want to take India to the world we want to show we teach about India [Music] got it first class the events that are depicted in the Kashmir files are highly contested the film is set in Kashmir a disputed region claimed by both India and Pakistan Kashmir fans is based on history which is that in 1919 January of 1990 Hindu pandits Hindus had were asked by terrorist organizations and they were announcing from mosqu

es Etc that you have to leave otherwise you'll be killed and that did happen and there was an exodus the film opens with a group of Muslim men attacking a Hindu boy what sort of messages is that very first opening scene of the movie trying to send is such an immediate beginning of the film that announces and declares what the agenda of this film is going to be now not only is the boy being beaten up but the poster of Shiva the Lord Shiva is being burned so Kashmir files plays straight into that

narrative which is the dominant Narrative of the BJP which is that the Muslims have an agenda to make India a Muslim country and therefore have to be fought and they have to be resisted thank you after spending time with Vivek on set I've come to his office where he wrote the cashmere files yeah please come in this is my r d space as I call it this is my lab where I do all my research and writing work inside it's all full of Kashmir files research papers okay you want to sit come this is with th

e prime minister of India this was a great movement because about Kashmir files this is the first time a film has been used as soft power of India when you say you actually mean by that in India generally movies are made either to entertain or if they are for social cause they leave it there it releases on Fridays and they forget about it but what we did was we took this film all over the world showcased it to policy makers politicians UK Parliament and U.S Congress in Capitol Hill the film beca

me like a soft power to take this cause internationally and globally [Music] some kashmiri Hindus praised the cashmere files saying it told their story for the first time others called it islamophobic and misleading for leaving out the struggles of kashmiri Muslims who were also killed a lot of films have been made on Kashmir but the problem was that they were saying Story Only of one side you know and they were telling the story of the people who are already in Kashmir and which is mostly the M

uslim population amid the Opera in a highly unusual step Prime Minister Modi came out to publicly defend the film [Music] this is [Music] foreign [Music] at screenings of the Kashmir Falls some viewers vented their anger towards Muslims [Applause] foreign [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] there are a lot of concerns that this is incited violence and anti-muslim violence what do you say to that I'm first of all I'm not answerable to that you have to go but it is your movie and you've

depicted it in a particular way today a movie has released people are doing it that's Indian culture people rent their emotions out in cinema Hall when the big star films come people dance in cinema halls sometimes they abuse the villain in Salem all that's Indian culture because you are alien to Indian culture you are saying that so so many people have loved the film they have cried in the film but I'm asking you about the people who are chanting anti-muslim sentiments are you are you not conce

rned I'm concerned I you don't know perhaps you don't know I tweeted also about that I said this is wrong it should not happen but if it's happening then I'm not answerable for everything which is happening in the world my film made a a game-changing revolutionary film for the first time somebody came out with the courage to make a film on the genocide of Hindus in India which is their Homeland if their repercussions five six people are raising some slogans people for 30 years nobody let them ta

lk but since the 90s the BJP has been talking about the kashmiri pundits it's not in I'm not I'm not a spokesperson or BJP I have nothing to do with them but the BJP did promote your film I mean four and a half crore people who watch the film are not BJP people all cut sardars also promoted my film if women also promoted my film LGBT community also promoted my firm everybody promoted my film all kinds of people promoted this film BJP is also part of it aren't they Indians and why why you have a

problem with BJP aren't they Indians I don't have a problem with them what I'm asking you is that the government promoted your film so what do you think about government never promoted my film government members promoted yourself no no government member from Prime Minister Modi promoted yourself no he did not promote myself okay the film is truthful off camera vivex PR manager asked us to stop the interview [Music] afterwards he gave us an ultimatum we appreciate you I have understood where you

are going and where you are coming from and I'm pretty experienced here we appreciate you chatting to us yeah and I also appreciate you coming all the way down here but if you show it in wrong light then I will have to react okay thank you when the cameras stopped rolling the vet demanded we don't use the interview [Music] some of those in the industry who openly oppose the government are now struggling to get work oh it's fine like the rest of them like suara basket is a major Bollywood star an

d one of the country's most outspoken celebrities you know I'm in Showbiz and I'm in a perception sensitive field where like your job is literally to make more and more people like you [Music] probably not smart away or political opinions so so much on your sleeve because it can be polarizing [Music] after getting her break in independent films suara started making it big in Bollywood just as Prime Minister Modi won his first term in 2014. [Music] I began to see self-censorship and fear like I'v

e never seen before 2014 um in makers and in producers so I mean it's very much a government that and an atmosphere that does not at all try to hide the fact that if you want to work and if you want to sort of thrive in Bollywood you have to shut up or shut up that's your two sort of um choices suara has openly campaigned against the BJP supported protests in opposition to modi's government and is publicly accused his administration of persecuting Muslims he's been very damaging there's just a l

ot of hesitation and a lot of fear to cast me because people feel like you know that she's identified as someone who's Auntie Modi or not against this government I mean I don't help my case I guess in that sense we started with her career stuff as well Suarez PR team interrupted our interview concerned at the direction it was heading okay this is we knew this I mean this is a film about Bollywood and politics this is the reality we all know it you can talk about it but don't take a big name Duba

i and still running it feels like it was a different time in the industry than like now you look at the industry now it feels like it's unrecognizable dozens of stars declined our request to be involved in this program concerned about the repercussions it could have on their career Suarez mother is professor irabaska she's worried you must feel it really very personally also now yeah like everyone's so scared now and like everything is like it's like you're walking on like landmines all the time

[Music] in Delhi families have gathered at one of the city's oldest Cinemas [Music] finally it's the opening weekend of ADI purush the controversial Hindu themed film that just weeks ago was facing a government ban since the movie came out a BJP spokesperson has called on the board to censor it for hurting religious sentiments and just a few days later the film's creators have decided to change its dialogue so I've come here to actually watch this movie [Applause] the controversy has hit the bo

x office with ticket sales plummeting despite the recut the director and writer have been under police protection after getting death threats [Applause] [Music] hello [Music] the Modi government minister in charge of film and streaming is anuraga his office didn't respond to our questions about accusations the BJP has been targeting the industry and using it for propaganda in the past he said if anyone has complaints they can reach out to the ministry foreign Indians of all religions will vote i

n a national election next year that will determine whether Prime Minister Modi leads for a third term there are several movies slated in the run-up to the vote which promote the BJP line I see Bollywood as becoming more and more a tool of propaganda as the years go on because no other government has understood the soft power of Bollywood like the Modi government has and no government has used Bollywood like this as India's biggest cultural export Bollywood tells this country's stories to its pe

ople and the rest of the world India is rapidly changing Nations like Australia now see it as a close friend but there are major fears that in this Democratic secular country under Prime Minister Modi only one story will be told foreign [Music]