From April 19 to June 1, 2024, India will have the greatest election ever. Political parties are attempting to sway voters’ preferences by using the film industry.
More than any other media, the Bharatiya Janata Party, or BJP, is currently in power and is running for a third term under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The party has used the film industry to promote its objectives.
India, according to the BJP, is a Hindu nation. Through tax advantages and the removal of regulatory barriers, the Modi government publicly encourages movies that further the BJP ideology. This is especially the case when the movies are carefully scheduled to hit theaters before the elections.
The film “Swatantrya Veer Savarkar,” which is about a fervent supporter of an exclusively Hindu nation, was released a few weeks prior to the 2024 election polls.
The entertainment film industry in India is a multifaceted industry that boasts a global fan base and produces over 1,500 movies annually. Fabulously choreographed dance routines, catchy lyrics, memorable dialogue and historical and religious imagery make it a favored medium of communication – even for political parties.
Indian popular cinema has historically been used for political purposes, dating back to the time before Indian independence. In my 2009 book “Celluloid Deities: The Visual Culture of Cinema and Politics in South India,” as an art historian, I detailed the ways in which the state of Tamil Nadu in southern India employed cinematic imagery to conjure up heroic images of political officials.
Given the relationship between politics and film, many charismatic politicians—some of whom were also top performers and actresses, others screenwriters and producers—found their long careers in this medium.
