The new superhit formula

Aradhika Sharma

Lately, Bollywood has seen resurgence of an age-old genre: nationalistic movies. At a time when security and peace is longed for, people revel in watching ‘Happy ever after’ nationalism movies that offer hope and succor to the country. Canny producers, forever on the lookout for saleable leitmotifs, are searching for themes they can package and showcase to make cinegoers feel good about belonging to their country. That it suits political agenda is a bonus.

Among the two superhit films of 2019 are Anurag Singh’s Kesari, which is the fastest film to cross the coveted Rs 100-crore mark in 2019 and Aditya Dhar’s Uri: The Surgical Strike, which will be remembered as one of the most significant films in Vicky Kaushal’s career. The former is set in1897 and based on the true story of Battle of Saragarhi, in which 21 Sikh soldiers fought against 10,000 Afghans. The latter film is the representation of the 2016 surgical strikes conducted by the Army against the Pakistani terror launchpads across the LoC in Kashmir. Diametrically different in settings of time and place, they have one thing in common — larger-than-life heroes willing to make  supreme sacrifice for their country. If they sprout a few jingoistic dialogues along the way, do some grand standing, so much the better. 

Meghna Gulzar’s spy movie Raazi (2018) entered the 100-crore club and has been winning Alia Bhatt major  awards in acting. The over-the-top chest-thumping and enemy-hating that tips the balance of a film from being a patriotic movie to a hyper nationalistic one was controlled in Raazi. The theme of patriotism was explored in its totality — patriots, no matter which country they belong to, love their country. This was a refreshing change because while the viewers root for young Sehmat (Alia) and feel pride for their country, the feeling of vengeance and hatred isn’t evoked. The other nationalistic film of the year was a simplistic version of the Pokhran II nuclear blasts carried out covertly by India, represented in John Abraham’s Parmanu — The Story of Pokhran.These tests were a declaration of the fact that India had joined the Big 5 states and hereafter, it wouldn’t play by the rules set by others. 

The film is unapologetic about attributing the success of India’s nuclear programme singularly to Atal Bihari Bajpai, ignoring other scientists, officials and prime ministers who had helmed the programme before him. 

Nationalistic films are coming thick and fast this year too. Hitting the screens are John Abraham’s Romeo Akbar Walter and Omung Kumar’s PM Narendra Modi. On the anvil is Saare Jahan Se Achha, a biopic on astronaut Rakesh Sharma, with Vicky Kaushal rumored to be playing the lead role. And Sidharth Malhotra is all set to play the role of Kargil martyr Vikram Batra who sacrificed his life during the Kargil War (1999). One hopes that these achievements and sacrifices of our national heroes are treated with enough respect .

Dialogues of pride 

No self-respecting patriotic film can be complete without inspiring dialogues. Matching the flag waving and war cries of the protagonists are dialogues such as:

“Hindustan aatank se nahi....Atank Hindustan se daregaa” ( PM Narendra Modi)

Aaj meri pagadi bhi Kesari, jo bahega mera lahu bhi Kesari aur mera jawab bhi Kesari” (Kesari).

“Yeh naya Hindustan hai, yeh gharme inghusega bhi, aur maregabhi.” (Uri)

“Waqt aa gayahai, khoon ka badlakhoon se lene ka.” (Uri)

“Watan ke age kuch nahin … Khud bhinahin” (Raazi)

Agar hamari pehchan hai toh sirf                                            ek — ki hum Kuwaiti nahin, Hindustani hain. Saath hain, toh kuch hain. Varna Nothing (Airlift)

There are some heroes and producers who, have become the mast bearers of films that evoke patriotism. While Aamir Khan has made several notable and excellent films that evoke pride in the nation— Sarfarosh, Mangal Pandey: The Rising, Rang de Basanti, Lagaan and Dangal, it is Akshay Kumar who is  true heir to the crown of ‘Bharat’ that Manoj Kumar held for many years. Kumar has done one nationalistic film after another — films on social reforms, on espionage, on sports and war: Baby, Toilet: Ek Prem Katha, Airlift, Padman, Rustom, Gold and lately his outing as Ishar Singh, who, with his motely band of soldiers, symbolises the fearlessness and pride of the Sikhs in Kesari.

Unfortunately, many films end up caricaturing the enemy. An opponent should be worthy of combat, not a bumbling idiot. The bravery that a soldier shows in the battlefield deserves great stature — the opposing armies are fighting for the protection of their respective countries and that’s where the honour lies. Bollywood movies, mostly, fail to accord this honour on the enemy, preferring to show them as incompetent or cruel people with unsound agendas. 

Charles de Gaulle had made probably the most apt distinction between patriotism and nationalism, “Patriotism is when love of your own people comes first; nationalism, when hate for people other than your own comes first.” We’re waiting for the time when Hindi filmmakers can make that distinction.