Episode 36 - Nazification of Indian Cinema

In this episode of our discussion series, Harsh Mander is in conversation with Ira Bhaskar, Professor Cinema Studies (Retd.), Jawaharlal Nehru University, and Harish Wankhede, Assistant Professor at the Centre for Political Science, Jawaharlal Nehru University. Together, they examine the politics of contemporary Indian cinema under the Modi government. The discussion looks at films that have been disallowed, such as Panjab 95, and the films that have faced censorship, including Phule and Homebound. They explore what drives these decisions and the political thinking behind them. The conversation also looks at the kinds of films promoted by the current regime, such as Dhurandhar, and the ideological reasons for their encouragement. In this context, they reflect on the continued importance of films that foreground humanism, secularism, and social equality, and how such cinema still finds space. They also discuss the portrayal of Dalits and Muslims in Indian cinema today, and what these representations reveal about the wider political and cultural climate. *************************** Subscribe to Scroll's YouTube channel and turn on your notifications, so you don't miss new videos. For more explainers, and the web’s most interesting videos - https://scroll.in/video/ For the latest news and analysis - https://scroll.in Support our award-winning journalism by making a financial contribution towards the Scroll Ground Reporting Fund - https://scroll.in/contribute Follow Scroll.in here - Facebook:   / scroll.in   Twitter:   / scroll_in   Instagram:   / scroll_in   Threads: https://www.threads.net/@scroll_in Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/scroll.in