Akshay Kumar’s interview of PM Modi shows how Bollywood now has a finger in every pie that matters
The neta versus abhineta is no longer a culture debate. It is one of symbiosis. And it is difficult to judge who is the better performer while selling dreams and crafting larger-than-life heroism. So it is but natural that in the bigger business of capturing the mass imagination, both have now emerged as the perfect prop for one another. Although our Bollywood stars, unlike their peers in Hollywood, may not take a stand on politically divisive issues or even effect a change in discourse — they fear being ostracised as compulsive liberals — they have at least decided to go with the flow of histrionic patriotism that’s on display and do their bit by aligning themselves with whichever party casts them in such a role. That’s safe at one level as nobody can question them on their contribution to national life. At another level, they would have to mouth party ideologies as their own, the same way they do their dialogues. Who better than actors then, who have so far been used in campaigns and as candidates to play inquisitors? So it is that yesterday morning we had Bollywood star Akshay Kumar conduct a free-wheeling, non-political chat with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his Delhi residence. Now we all know how structured the Modi interviews to the Press are to the point of boredom. Hence, strategists thought there would be more life with a Bollywood star, considered a “friendly” too, as a news anchor, asking all the questions that would lionise the journey of Modi, the common man in cinematic terms. It cascaded across news portals without falling foul of the Model Code of Conduct. Who would have a problem with the story of a simple man who washed his clothes, loved mangoes and was on his quest? This had a far greater effect than the banned films and NaMo TV could ever have. We all know the old stories from lyricist Prasoon Joshi’s chat in London but this one, by a desi boy from Chandni Chowk, was meant to convey an at-home image of the PM, who has to hard sell himself more to the domestic constituency than Indians abroad this time. This one was even more deliberate than the others as Modi wittily drew in Kumar’s “liberal” wife Twinkle Khanna into the conversation, saying the anti-Modi invectives in her tweets meant that Akshay was spared her spitfire moods at home. Or the very pointed reference to his harshest opponent, Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee, saying Didi personally had no issues with him and sent him kurtas, gifts and sweets once or twice a year. Did this mean that personal goodwill could overtake politics some time? We would not want to hazard a guess. At a time when all of us are lamenting the lack of civility in election speeches, Modi swiftly reminded us that rabidity was a part of polemics and we should not react to it too much. So going by the filmy didi-bhai vibes, we should be convinced politicians have grace. Having consistently promoted the Modi government’s schemes, Kumar’s stellar role of a news anchor epitomises the Bollywoodisation of the spectator space, from films to sports, and now think tank summits to even journalism. That’s because compared to the Congress era, beginning with Nehru, whose engagement of Prithviraj Kapoor was more subtle and based on shared thought processes, Modi has been more inclusive, roping in every star as his brand ambassador, even those who may not agree with him. He has got the reticent Sunny Deol, too.
The power of cinema as a propagandist tool began during World War I when the British realised it could change public opinion. The Soviets followed up on that template in the 1920s but it was Nazi Germany which perfected it, Joseph Goebbels being the inventor of newsreels that had to be screened before a film. Of course, there were films which showed the Germans having a charmed life. Post-war, there was a counter-movement of the Jewish narrative, war movies extolling Allied efforts to defeat Hitler and the travails of persecuted Jews. Even now Hollywood indulges in these war films and builds the American saviour narrative through sci-fi, space films or the usual Gulf and Afghan war tropes. But yes we are yet to have a George Clooney interview Donald Trump.
