DARK clouds enveloped Mumbai in the last week of June 2022, but the rains did not seem to be in a hurry that year.
Who was in a political hurry around the time was 58-year-old Eknath Shinde, a top Shiv Sena leader and an Urban Affairs Minister in the state’s Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. Shinde broke the backs of the MVA and the Shiv Sena to join hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party to install a new government in Maharashtra, with the help of 40 Sena rebels.
Amid the turmoil on the ground in the western Indian state, the heavens finally opened up. On the evening of June 29, as heavy rains lashed across the city, a calm and smiling Uddhav appeared live on Facebook to put the political uncertainty in Maharashtra in perspective.
“Democracy must be upheld. We will do it and so must all. Let them enjoy the deed of pulling down Sena supremo’s son from the post of CM,” Uddhav said, after rendering his resignation.
Thackeray’s composure was acknowledged widely across the internet, with several posts expressing sadness at his departure from the government’s helm. The overwhelming support of Bollywood celebrities, socialites, social activists, writers and even astute political observers in Maharashtra for Uddhav was unusual, especially coming from the liberal quarter, whose proponents once had to face the aggressive wrath of the Sena, under its original patriarch, the late Bal Thackeray. Thackeray was Uddhav’s father, but he was also a picture in contrast.
This story is from the April 11, 2024 edition of Outlook.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the April 11, 2024 edition of Outlook.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
The Propaganda Files
A recent spate of Hindi films distorts facts and creates imaginary villains. Century-old propaganda cinema has always relied on this tactic
Will Hindutva Survive After 2024?
The idealogy of Hindutva faces a challenge in staying relevant
A Terrific Tragicomedy
Paul Murray's The Bee Sting is a tender and extravagant sketch of apocalypse
Trapped in a Template
In the upcoming election, more than the Congress, the future of the Gandhi family is at stake
IDEOLOGY
Public opinion will never be devoid of ideology: but we shall destroy ourselves without philosophical courage
The Many Kerala Stories
How Kerala responded to the propaganda film The Kerala Story
Movies and a Mirage
Previously portrayed as a peaceful paradise, post-1990s Kashmir in Bollywood has become politicised
Lights, Cinema, Politics
FOR eight months before the 1983 state elections in undivided Andhra Pradesh, a modified green Chevrolet van would travel non-stop, except for the occasional pit stops and food breaks, across the state.
Cut, Copy, Paste
Representation of Muslim characters in Indian cinema has been limited—they are either terrorists or glorified individuals who have no substance other than fixed ideas of patriotism
The Spectre of Eisenstein
Cinema’s real potency to harness the power of enchantment might want to militate against its use as a servile, conformist propaganda vehicle