From Godhra to Godse: The rise of propaganda films in India | LME 56
Last month, a movie about the 2002 Godhra train burning incident hit theatres, and the Prime Minister and his entire cabinet attended the screening.
Just days after the demise of former PM Dr Manmohan Singh, a war broke out on twitter between actor Anupam Kher and filmmaker Hansal Mehta. This over Kher’s movie The Accidental PM based on Manmohan singh, being called one of the worst Hindi movies ever made and an example of how media was used to tarnish the name of a good man. And Hansal Mehta who was the creative director of the movie supported this statement.
Since 2014, there's been a surge in political and ideological films, and more are lined up for release in 2025—one even focusing on Nathuram Godse.
A propaganda film, in its simplest form, is a movie designed to push a particular agenda—be it political, religious, or cultural—and often used to shape narratives or manipulate public opinion.
In India, these films aren’t exactly new. But since 2014, there’s been a shift. We’ve seen an increase in the number of such films, many of which push the Hindutva agenda, target minorities and political opponents, and fuel polarization.
As we step into the new year, it seems like the right time to take a closer look at how propaganda films have been used as political tools in India.
We’ll also look at how dictators like Hitler used cinema for similar purposes—and how what’s unfolding in India today bears an uncanny resemblance.
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Now, Back to the story.
The BJP and its affiliates have, for years, been working to reshape and reinterpret history to push the Hindutva agenda. And cinema has been a major part of this push.
Since 2014, we have seen BJP leaders including PM Modi supporting and celebrating many propaganda movies of the party's majoritarian values,…often endorsing them and making them tax-free to boost their reach.
Like The Kerala story for example.
Initially, the movie claimed that 32,00 women from Kerala had been tricked into joining ISIS, and suggested that "real" numbers could be even higher.
Official figures show that between 2015 and 2019, 177 people from across India were arrested for suspected links to ISIS, of which 19 were from Kerala.
A 2019 report by the Observer Research Foundation says that 180-200 Indians crossed the border to join ISIS of which 40 were from Kerala.
These numbers don’t even come close to what the movie claims.
But there are other issues with such movies.
The Kerala Story exaggerates and distorts real-life stories for dramatic effect, aiming to polarize its audience. Look, no one should ignore the issues of religious indoctrination and radicalization but such movies undermine the seriousness of the issue, turning it into a tool for further creating discord.
And the BJP made this movie tax-free in at least two states and BJP leaders in Karnataka, even took people to theatres to watch it ahead of the 2023 assembly polls.
The film Sabarmati Report focuses on the 2002 Godhra train fire, where 59 pilgrims lost their lives. The movie presents it as a premeditated act while leaving out the larger context of the riots that followed.
But here’s the thing. While Hindutva supporters argue that the fire on the Sabarmati Express was a planned attack by Muslims, the two commissions that looked into the incident—the Nanavati and Banerjee Commissions—came to opposite conclusions. Nanavati claimed it was deliberate, while Banerjee concluded it was accidental. Many independent investigators too have said it was accidental.
Interestingly, two films about the Godhra incident were released within just 100 days of each other. The first, Accident or Conspiracy: Godhra, barely made a ripple. The second, The Sabarmati Report, was made tax-free in several BJP-ruled states to attract more viewers, but it ended up being a commercial failure. Without Modi’s endorsement, it likely wouldn’t have gained much traction, and even film critics were largely unimpressed.
The Kashmir Files claims to be based on true events surrounding the exodus of thousands of Hindus from Kashmir starting in 1989. While the government reports over 200 deaths, the film dramatically inflates the number, blaming not just the terrorists, but also pointing fingers at others, including the BJP's favorite targets—left-wing professors and the Congress Party.
The list of such propaganda movies is long:
The Tashkent Files, Kesari, Uri: The Surgical Strike,Swatantrya Veer Savarkar, Emergency and even a biopic of Nathuram Godse called Gandhi Godse – Ek Yudh is scheduled for release in January 2025…
These films often feature the BJP's go-to villains, like medieval Muslim rulers, Pakistan, Islamist terrorists, leftists, and opposition parties, particularly the Congress.
Their themes usually are nationalism or Hindu pride or historical revision, and present a one-sided narrative that aligns with the BJP's ideology. And of course, glorying their leaders while vilifying the opposition.
Like the 2019 movie PM Narendra Modi that depicts him fawningly, presenting Modi as a heroic, larger-than-life figure–selfless and determined.
And in stark contrast, the accidental prime minister portrays Dr Manmohan Singh as a weak leader who struggles to assert himself, often appearing hesitant and conflicted.
Look, political films in India aren't exactly a new phenomenon. In fact, the very first one could possibly be Brandy Ki Botal, which supported Gandhi’s call for a ban on alcohol.
In the earlier years, most of these films were used to promote national unity. After independence, movies like Bhagat Singh and Hamara Desh were made to celebrate the freedom struggle and ignite national pride. During the Nehruvian era, films like Jagriti were crafted to focus on social reform, the importance of education, and national integration.
And it wasn’t just Hindi movies.
In Tamil cinema, films have long been part of the political fabric. Leaders like M. Karunanidhi and MGR skillfully used cinema to project their political agendas, often with themes of social justice, Tamil pride, and regional identity. Films such as Parasakthi (1952) and Veerapandiya Kattabomman became powerful tools that strengthened the bond between politics and cinema in Tamil Nadu, where filmmakers often aligned their stories with the interests of political parties.
More recently too, actor Vijay’s movies like Sarkar saw shades of social messaging, like against GST, electoral fraud and voters rights. And his recent entry into politics could also be seen as an extension of this.
Similarly, in Telugu cinema, films like Bharath Bandh embraced socialist ideologies. Political figures like N.T. Rama Rao (NTR) used films to shape his public image as a champion of the people. Movies like Sardar Paparayudu were closely tied to his rise in politics.
Even more recently, movies like Vivekam which dives into the murder of YS Vivekananda Reddy can be bracketed as propaganda.
There have also been movies like Yatra, Yatra 2 and Vyooham which show YS Rajashekhar Reddy, and his son Jagan Mohan Reddy in a positive light.
But there have been other kinds of films in Telugu too. The recent Telugu film Razakar: The Silent Genocide, which focuses on the atrocities during the Nizam's rule, portrays historical events, but it exaggerates and distorts the facts to intentionally polarize its audience.
The film takes a divisive approach, vilifying Muslims. And this movie was Produced by a BJP leader from Telangana.
While political films as such are not new at all, and most politicians and parties have used them as a tool, there is a marked difference between those and the post-Modi era.
What sets apart the cinema of earlier decades from the propaganda films post-2014 is the blatant communal hate and disinformation. These films can no longer be brushed off as ‘creative freedom’—they are carefully crafted to manipulate, divide, and spread hate.
World over, authoritarian leaders have long used propaganda films as a tool to shape public opinion. In fact, this practice dates back to the early 1900s, peaking during the World Wars.
Who was the other person who recognised the power of cinema and made the most out of it? - Adolf Hitler.
Hitler used propaganda films to shape public opinion and push Nazi ideologies. He established what was called a “Propaganda Ministry” (The Reich Ministry for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda), led by Joseph Goebbels. He had complete control over German mass media, overseeing everything from screenplays to directors and actors.
The most famous Nazi propaganda film is Triumph of the Will. It didn’t just glorify Hitler and the Nazi party; it also became a model for propaganda filmmaking. One signature technique in Nazi films was the use of low-angle shots whenever Hitler appeared on screen, giving him a heroic and imposing presence.
Such films glorified Nazi power and loyalty to the state, while others demonized Jews and political enemies like the communists who were often portrayed as dangerous. films like The Eternal Jew, targeted minorities and dehumanized them.
So you can now see why I said what happened in nazi Germany is eerily similar to what we are witnessing in India today. Now the danger about such movies is that those who are unfamiliar with the nuanced history will be influenced by hate and this of course further polarises an already divided society.
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