Indian movies vilifying Muslims spark fear ahead of polls

“The Kerala Story” is among a series of divisive films that have sparked worries about Bollywood producing cultural propaganda to bolster backing for India’s governing party before elections, often using tactics such as distributing complimentary tickets and making unsubstantiated assertions.

The trailer for the anti-Muslim box office smash claims to show “innocent girls trapped, transformed, and trafficked for terror,” and claims to be “inspired by many true stories.”

The film, a fictitious story about a Hindu woman who converts to Islam and then becomes radicalized, is the second-highest-grossing Hindi film of 2023 so far.

Critics have accused it and other recent releases of spreading lies and inciting divisions. It is by vilifying the Muslim minority, ahead of next year’s national elections.

“I would advise all political parties to take advantage of my film. “Use it for your political gain,” director Sudipto Sen said in response to an AFP question about its political leanings.

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Indian movies: Film Censorship in India

The world’s largest democracy has a long history of film censorship. Critics say the industry is increasingly pushing out films that share Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu-nationalist ideology.

Indian Movies Cinema is an unrivalled means of reaching the public, according to journalist and author Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay. During Modi’s tenure, movies have spread divisive messages, reinforcing political leaders’ prejudices and creating prejudice against religious minorities. The release of “The Kerala Story” coincided with elections in Karnataka, causing violent clashes in Maharashtra state.

Modi endorsed a low-budget film criticizing the opposition Congress party for supporting terrorist tendencies. Critics claim it taps into “love-jihad” conspiracies, where Muslim men seduce Hindu women. The filmmakers have retracted false claims about 32,000 Hindu and Christian women recruited by the Islamic State jihadist group.

Modi praised Bollywood stars for selfies, discussing nation-building; new films, right-wing, Hindu-nationalist, Islamophobic, explore sectarian riots.

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