Politically Correct

While the battle still wages  on to get PM Narendra Modi a release before elections end, it is hardly the only politically charged film that has released in the past few months. From Accidental Prime Minister to No Fathers in Kashmir, films have thrown light on different aspects of the government, political parties and even conspiracy theories like Vivek Agnihotri’s The Tashkent Files. While critics have repeatedly called some of these films “propaganda”, others claim that it is simply good marketing strategy, since the content is topical. And it’s not just films. Books and theatre also have a lot to say about the political scenario of the country. From oblique references in Puja Mehra’s The Lost Decade (2008-18) to more direct views in Ruchir Sharma’s Democracy on the Road. Whirlpool, which was staged at Prithvi Theatre, Mumbai, on April 14, is a reinterpretation on George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984, and a satire on present governance. Eidgah Ke Jinnat, a play that reflects on the Kashmir issue was even interrupted in Jaipur where an FIR was filed against it. QTP production’s A Peasant of El Salvador takes a look at the country pre-civil war and draws parallels to India’s current situation.

With politically charged content flooding the market, the question that arises is: how impactful is this deluge? And how much of it is a clever way of marketing?

Political analyst Surendra Jondhale believes that much of the content that is currently being circulated is actually propaganda in innovative forms. While out-and-out propaganda is both banned by the Election Commission (EC) and off-putting to the public, these suggestive ideas work better. “Just as in the last elections, BJP made use of social media to create their campaign, now more mediums are being explored,” he says.

Marketing no crime

“When it comes to marketing content like books or movies, one would obviously want to be topical,” explains Vinil Mathew, filmmaker. “So, with the elections coming up, of course there is a deluge of this kind of content. You always cater to the demand and there is an obvious demand for it. This is also why advertisement steers away from political content. You don’t want to step on any toes.”

Agnihotri, whose film also raised a couple of eyebrows as it looks into the alleged assassination of prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri. However, the filmmaker is quick to defend against the question: why now? “Why not now?” he counters, adding, “It is relevant now. Without marketing, your life will come to an end. Films can help shape an idea but it cannot create an idea. It can start a debate, since filmmakers pick up topics that are anyway relevant to society. Cinema has a role in shaping the mainstream narrative. Art has always been instrumental in creating a narrative.”

Art with a message

Quasar Padamsee’s Peasant of El Salvador may be called a prime example of this. The director says that the elections were exactly the reason for them to revive the play after years it was last staged. “When we had last staged the play, it was just a cautionary play about what had happened in El Salvador,” he elaborates. “Today, however, more and more of the things that led to civil war are coming to pass in India… You have farmer’s unrest and persecution of the intellectual classes, which are typical signs of a totalitarian system similar to what prevailed in the Central American country. So, now more than ever, the relevance of the play comes to the fore.”

The play, in which three actors swap the roles of a narrator, a miscellany of other characters and the lead character of the peasant. Through the course of the play, the connect that Padamsee speaks of becomes abundantly clear, since the play centres around farmers’ exploitation and unrest, given a personal touch through the eyes of an old man.

At the end of the play, the audience members, which include noted thespians as well as screenwriter Atul Tiwari, murmur about its relevance in today’s time – its cautionary message has clearly been conveyed. “I have been quite active in the farmer’s cause myself and can therefore attest to the aptness of this play being staged in today’s time,” says actor Tarun Kumar.

Also Read: How convinced are you?

Publishing game

Author and journalist Puja Mehra’s The Lost Decade (2008-18), published on April 1, throws light on the continuing neglect of economic reforms across the two governments in office in this period. “The book looks at the last 10 years of governance and how economic policies were driven mostly by political calculus. Even during the tenure of Manmohan Singh’s government, when an economist was the prime minister, the economists in the government and RBI were given a free hand only during the 2008 global financial crisis. The average Indian hardly remembers that crisis, since it was handled so smoothly. However, once the immediate response measures had been administered, economists were sidelined once again,” she explains. The timing of the book’s publication, the author adds, was set by the publishing house in line with its calendar for the election season when more people tend to pick up books about performance of governments. 

Communications lead at Penguin Random House, Pallavi Narayan, concurs, adding that consumers are seeking “content that is thought-through, accurate and has verifiable points of view.” She adds, “The analytics of politics may interest some, the impact of elections on economics may interest others or the stories that are born out of election rallies may interest a third sub-set. If marketing and communication is targeted at these differentiators, the book will definitely stand out.”

Author of How to Get Published, Meghna Pant adds that since we have now arrived at one of the most important elections of all time, the need for opinion-makers is higher than ever. “India wants to know,” she says, with a shrug. But what opinion does one follow? With so many opposing views, who does one believe?

Pant has a simple solution: “Find voices that resonate with you, that are trustworthy and have no agenda.”

POLITICALLY TAILORED ENTERTAINMENT

With politically charged content flooding the market, the question that arises is: how impactful is this deluge? And how much of it is a clever way of marketing?

PLAYS OF PROTEST

Whirlpool: 

Mumbai: April 14, 
Delhi: April 19-21

• Taking references from George Orwell’s life and works, this play by The Company Theatre looks at the power dynamics of governments.

A Peasant of El Salvador: Mumbai: April 14

• Drawing parallels between the current political scenario in India and pre-Civil War El Salvador, this play cautions citizens against the spreading politics of hate and ignorance.

Eidgah Ke Jinnat

• Staged in Jaipur at the Navras Festival, the play, which takes a neutral view on the militant-army tensions in Kashmir had a successful first show on February 18. However, the second show was cancelled due to protests by fringe groups.

FOR THE NATION

Ae Watan from Raazi bagged two Filmfare awards, one for best lyrics (Gulzar) and one for best singer (Sunidhi Chauhan). The song, which is a wish for the country’s prosperity and spreads positive patriotism through its rendition. The context in the film (sung by students during Annual Day celebrations in Pakistan, yet taught by Indian spy Sehmat, played by Alia Bhatt) also shows the universality of the nationalistic spirit.