I have blogged a lot about my views on cinema multiple times before, and I always look for an opportunity to talk about something new. The inactivity for the past two months doesn't mean I disregarded our Four Eyes Fridays—I have had a lot to share offline. Taking over the Literature and Film Society at college has been amazing. Just a few weeks in, we have already begun discussing important themes, like the Freedom of Speech and Female Rage. For now, let me talk about a topic I'm very passionate about: the politics that surround cinema, and a certain cycle of politics.
A lens into the past
Experimental films were a growing trend in the mid-20th century, with risks being taken in terms of technical aspects and storytelling styles. Actors began to (slowly) embrace films that improved the status quo of cinema. However, I think it's greatly important to acknowledge that with the risk, filmmakers still played it safe. Experimental films, including animated films and war films, subtly included messages that reflected the time they were made.
Bambi (1942) had a much deeper, subtle meaning than what meets the eye. It condoned destruction and promoted environmental protection which reflected the civilian bombings during WWII. In a more explicit sense, German war propaganda films were highly distributed across Germany to further indoctrinate the people into accepting the aggressive foreign policy.
Real to Reel
Cinema is a reflection of reality. While this may be up for debate, especially when it comes to fictional genres and creative liberty, it is undeniable that it’s very hard (if not impossible) for filmmakers to detach their perspective of life from their work.
Imagine if we have the following filmmakers create a fictional movie about Hitler and his regime... here's how differently they would shoot it:
Quentin Tarantino: Dark humour and stylised violence with provocative language.
Steven Spielberg: Resilience amidst a sentiment-charged narrative.
Taika Waititi: A fresh perspective with irreverent humour and empathy.
S.S. Rajamouli: Epic, larger-than-life action sequences that ride on emotions.
Tarantino and Waititi actually made movies about Hitler; Inglourious Basterds (2009) and Jojo Rabbit (2019) caricatured Hitler and creative liberty was exercised well. If filmmakers believe in the scripts they make, then why should we, the audience, be expected to leave our societal views at the doorstep when watching movies? This is a moral issue that surrounds cinema especially when it is about sensitive tropes.
Reel to Real
In India, cinema has been the main source of entertainment since the late ‘50s. (One can even say it's a religion for Indians, after cricket.) The abundance of regional languages and cultures makes movies so highly consumed.
The real-to-reel works the other way when you consider the long list of stars who entered politics. Stars are revered and their political entrance typically gains great traction.
Why is this important?
It may sound ludicrous to say that, in India, the mass audience welcomes many actor-turned-politicians with open arms... whether this was in the '60s or today. Just a couple of months ago, 'Thalapathy' Vijay announced his entrance into the Tamil Nadu political game. This left me baffled. It reminded me of his 2018 film, Sarkar, where he was an outsider who took on the government -- except this time he wants to form his own government.
So, how did this outsider even have the audacity to start his own politics?
I think the answer to this question can only be answered if they are an outsider to politics. I am not specifically referring to the fact that there are cinema stars who have families that have strong political links; Indian politics and ideologies have infiltrated this medium of entertainment to the point that many films sometimes have explicit political intentions.
The highly controversial 2022 film, The Kashmir Files, has Islamophobic themes in the name of shedding light on the plight of Kashmiri Hindus. Very interestingly, Indian PM Narendra Modi (the face of the Hindu nationalist movement) endorsed the film. You cannot blame the film fraternity for not only delivering films that suit the current politics but also becoming a part of the same politics! Politicians are sometimes less remote than the actors that the public adores, so when the time is right -- why not, right?
Last year, the controversial Islamophobic The Kerala Story (2023) became one of the highest-grossing movies in India. What implications do these have at a time with a major election coming up? I think the politicisation of religion is not just a common tactic of the current government but also the tactic of producers and the film fraternity to get those big bucks.
On a more positive note, one of my favourite Aamir Khan movies, PK (2014) was a job well done by director Rajkumar Hirani, the same maker of 3 Idiots (2010). Its socio-political commentary was sensitive and balanced, something I feel is lacking in many Indian movies nowadays.
NTR: The 'God' who became 'God'
As a guy who hails from Andhra Pradesh, his political arc should be mentioned. It was like a plot from one of NTR’s super-hit movies. A lower-class man becomes a superstar and creates history in politics. He ousted Congress which had ruled the state for 27 years. It was well-executed; as he approached his 60th birthday, he chose political scripts and entered the game with immense popularity.
If you take a close look at his filmography, it's packed with fantasy films (a trendy genre in those days) where he played divine mythological characters, like Lord Rama. There are tales of his photo as Rama being used instead of the actual idol. I mean, his impact on people was profound. After his daughter got married to a politician, he began considering politics as a way to touch the hearts of his people even more. In other words, he went from being a God on-screen to a 'God' in politics.
A century has passed since this political icon was born. Still, his legacy lives on in the form of
his children and grandchildren who are all influential members of Indian cinema and politics. His grandson, NTR Jr. acted in the acclaimed RRR (2022) which had subtle Hindutva themes.
Jayalalitha: Not just a pretty face
One of the most influential politicians of her time, she made waves in Tamil Nadu politics from the moment she entered. She always wanted to be of service to the people and felt her talents were useful elsewhere. Her career was waning and her love affair with MGR, another actor-turned-Chief Minister, failed. This was her chance to get a break: both with MGR and politics. She soon proved that she wasn’t just a pretty face. Her policies and firm way of dealing with Tamil Nadu politics made her the 'Amma' (transl. 'Mother') of Tamil Nadu. I still remember the riots and desperate cries of her supporters in 2016 when she passed away.
Final thoughts
While I appreciate the fact that politics is getting more accessible to everyone, I don't think it should be open to just anyone. I am not saying that the actors in the past who left the silver screen for politics did not deserve their positions. It appears to be a trend that popular stars ride on their popularity to gain a political foothold. Their passion for it is irrelevant. If a person wants to serve the people for the right reasons, with the right skills, then sure... But that doesn't mean that society should lose its sense of logic and critical thinking when electing such people.
On another note, just checking in to see how everyone is doing. I get that it's been more than three months but I do still have the passion to blog and keep this site active. I've been having so much fun running this new club and we've been doing some exciting things. Stay tuned for more and I hope the Four Eyes Fridays continues. Cheers.
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