Let Me Explain: From Godhra to Godse, the rise of propaganda films in India

A movie about the 2002 Godhra train burning incident hit theatres, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his entire cabinet attending its screening. The event sparked renewed discussions about the intersection of cinema and politics in India.

Just days after the demise of former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, a heated exchange erupted on Twitter between actor Anupam Kher and filmmaker Hansal Mehta. The controversy revolved around The Accidental Prime Minister, a film based on Singh's tenure, which has often been criticised as one of the worst Hindi movies ever made. 

Since 2014, there has been a noticeable surge in the production of political and ideological films in India. More of these are slated for release in 2025. These films, many of which align with the Hindutva agenda, frequently target minorities, and contribute to the growing polarization in society.

In this week’s Let Me Explain, Pooja Prasanna looks at how propaganda films were before and after 2014, explores political films in Tamil and Telugu film industries and draws parallels with what’s happening in India with Nazi Germany. 

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