By Areeba Jamal
The use of media as a tool to sell state narratives has been rampant since the second world war. Axis and allied powers utilised pamphlets, radios and movies to propagate messages of strength and vigour whilst painting their adversaries as shrewd, erratic and untrustworthy. Nowadays, movies in particular have gained prime importance as an effective medium to shape narratives. The United States, for example, produced Hunt for Red October, Red Dawn and The Iron Curtain among many other movies depicting Russians as feudal, barbaric and remorseless during the Cold War.
A recurring theme of antagonistic media production to frame public perception has been observed in the case of India and Pakistan. The two querulous states share a tumultuous past riddled with full scale wars (1948, 1965, 1971) and numerous border skirmishes. It would be reductionist to blame fictitious media as the root cause behind the two states’ animosity; the ethno-religious differences and the Kashmir issue play a vital role in fostering hate. However, the inclusion of media warfare has opened a new, virtual and protracted domain of conflict that has been exacerbated through the production of propagandist, biased and anti-Pakistan movies in the last two decades.
Bollywood movies present a jingoistic Hindutva ideology that portrays Pakistan as an irrational, extremist state driven by power hungry “mujahideen”. This excessively nationalistic tone is rampant under Modi’s regime. During his tenure (2014-Present), Pakistan has been reduced to the ‘terrorist factory of the world’ with sensationalist representation of Kashmiri freedom fighters as instructors of peace. These movies make use of emotional storylines, romance and tragedy to generate false antagonistic narratives about Pakistan. Indian film industry has become a strategic arena to instil politically hostile and diplomatically contentious public opinions regarding Pakistan.
Melodramatized films like Uri: The Surgical Strike (2016), The Kashmir Files (2022), LOC: Kargil (2003), Shershaah (2021) and Pippa (2023) among others have been released to implant state favourable narratives into the minds of Indian youth. The depiction of the Uri attack over-dramatized the seamless Indian military victory whilst effectively ignoring international calls for proof that Pakistan was behind the terrorist incident. Additionally, the movie used high-tech drones and surveillance equipment that were not part of India’s arsenal at the time the movie aired. The Kashmir Files, based on the expulsion of Hindu Pundits from Kashmir, greatly hyperbolized their plight and blatantly erased the haunting torture Muslims face in Occupied Kashmir at a daily basis. Shershaah focused entirely on Captain Vikram Batra’s contribution during the Kargil crisis whilst the broader war strategy, other units input and the overall cost of the crisis was slyly overlooked.
Watching Indian soldiers give their life to fight against inflated cross border threats, depicting Muslims as harbingers of terrorism and brutality and labelling Islam as a primitive religion with limited self-expression has stirred deep set hatred for Pakistan in the hearts of Indian public. Albeit fabricated, these movies have re-written facts with a flair of drama to diminish the authenticity of the truth. The audience reacts at the whims of patriotism, without fact-checking the information being relayed to them. In many cases, the propaganda is overt; movies incorporate exhilarating speeches, political plots and cutting dialogues to represent Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) “Strong India Weak Pakistan” sentiments. A minority of controversial producers have made movies in support for the Kashmiri struggle whilst painting Pakistan in a positive light. Films like Haider, Lamhaa and Hamid dive into the human cost of the Kashmir conflict, raising concerns over Indian violations of international law. Unfortunately, these films are seldom popularised and their actors and producers are put through political scrutiny to gauge their loyalty towards the Indian state.
Anti-Pakistan narratives take advantage of Islamophobia to drive the Hindutva ideology domestically, this is particularly distressing for Muslims residing in India who make up 15% of the country’s population. Movies that disseminate islamophobia have normalised religiously motivated violence against Muslims in India without express legal accountability.
Singling Pakistan out as a perpetual threat through Bollywood, India has tarnished hope for diplomatic engagement to foster some semblance of tolerance between each other. Cricket diplomacy, trade agreements and mutual talks are deemed weak by the public and military action is seen as the only solution which has further polarized both societies. Ceaseless exposure to war propaganda through films can cement long-term antagonistic views across generations, lowering the probability of reaching a diplomatic arrangement. The added threat of nuclear weapons further complicates the security dimensions between the two fractured societies. Media simplifies complex geo-political matters into a reductionist “Us Vs. Them” narrative effectively eroding the ability of the Indian public to question their government and hold them accountable for military mishaps along Pakistan’s LoC (Line of Control).
As the international system moves increasingly towards virtual domains and cultural productions to circulate misinformation and hostilities against adversaries, Bollywood should maintain its status as a provider of entertainment, establishing clear autonomy from the news. Mixing entertainment with right-wing political objectives can harbour hatred, promote ethno-religious violence and temper with factual information. The media industry thrives off of propagandist productions as the ultra-nationalist public consumes more and more military centric movies. The same public shall delegate for stringent military responses in the event of a crisis between India and Pakistan due to the animosity cemented in their hearts. The resulting cost of military engagement shall be far more than the monetary profit the media industry enjoys. The collateral damage shall befall upon civilians, infrastructure and soldiers alike. Therefore, the subtle yet lasting impact of right-wing movies can temper with diplomatic policies and reduce opportunities for dialogue, adding a perplexing dimension to the security environment of South Asia.
