PROPAGANDA FILMS AT ELECTION TIME

ONE of my memorable film viewing experiences was MG Ramachandran's 1958 classic, Nadodi Mannan (The Vagabond King), at Coimbatore's iconic Delite cinema back in 2014. The film had the actor in the double role of King Marthandan and revolutionary Veerangan.

- NAMRATA JOSHI

An engrossing mix of intrigue and emotion, comedy and action, it was above all politically charged in its dismissal of monarchy and call for democracy with MGR as Veerangan getting thumping approval from Delite's predominantly underprivileged audience.

Nadodi Mannan often gets mentioned as a "propaganda blitzkrieg" and "party manifesto" for the DMK, with party flags visible through the film. At its very basic, the film's propaganda was replete with idealism anti-injustice and pro-reforms, a film of the people and for the people.

Cut to 2023 and I find Shah Rukh Khan attempting something similar in the biggest blockbuster of the year, Jawanfighting corruption in arms deals, helping dispossessed farmers, making a case for a sturdy medical infrastructure, and exhorting people to exercise their franchise with care. Ahead of an election, it's peak propaganda that tells its viewers to vote for the right candidate, but doesn't have any political party backing it.

As opposed to this old-fashioned propeople pamphleteering, this year has also seen the success of Gadar 2, that rides on the animus against Pakistan, and The Kerala Story, heavily promoted by the BJP used in the Karnataka election campaign by none other than the PM. About Islamophobic stereotypes and conspiracy theories about conversions, it has been one of the biggest hits of the year so far.