Shahrukh Khan’s ‘Jawan’ has done an unexpected feat. A jaw-dropping performance by RSS devotees who claim monopoly on nationalism. The congregation was well over the clouds after making hateful films like Kashmir Files, Kerala Story. They began to believe that India’s nationalism dances to on their beat. They deliberately spread the misconception that India’s nationalism was a dividing line within the Indian people. Since Shah Rukh Khan was a Muslim, some people were trying to make him a traitor. For that, the citizens of India are witness to the history of how his son was tortured by BJP politics using the repressive mechanisms of the country. ‘Jawan’ has challenged that torture by saying ‘talk to the father before touching the Son’. Of course, since this is a Bollywood affair, care has also been taken to ensure that it remains within the framework of entertainment.
It is well known that Hindi films are simultaneously a spicy recipe of realism, escapism, establishment ideology and the need for egalitarian social change. But in the era of ‘Corporate Manuvada’ its egalitarian content disappeared. Hindi cinema has been singing the praises of nationalism while at the same time criticizing it. After independence, the framework of socialist consciousness will not be broken, so much rightness was seen in the movie. It used to bluntly say that your nationalism does not adequately uphold social justice. Even at that time there was a chunk saying that ‘Pather Panchali’ defames India, but there were also questions like ‘Yeh Dunya Agar Mil Bhi Jaye To Kya Hai’.
Since the 1970s, a lot of water has been transported through the rivers of India. The rising corporate standards, especially the egalitarian culture under the North’s dominance, began to erode. RSS people started talking about establishing the system of social equality and justice. In such an environment, the film ‘Jawan’ has brought a uncomforting questions of its own style.
It is becoming a rare thing to make modern films without strong action and bloodshed. In addition, video games now normalized digital collateral violence as more visible. The cinematographers are becoming increasingly used to them. The ‘jawan’ is full of fake violence. The ‘jawan’ is full of fake violence. But its exaggeration and the fakeness of violence are even more striking. Audiences are habitual to see such action-packed violence in movies as obvious phenomenon.
‘Jawan’ is the usual romantic action-packed masala film but one frame given to it underlines his separateness. What is core message of the movies? Farmers committing suicide due to debt overburdened money, lack of interest by corporate companies and injustice in loans given to farmers at higher rates, health system that is becoming worse, and not only that, pollution has been made the subject of the film by ‘Jawan’! There is another difference in ‘Jawan’: the villain in it is not a criminal in the framework of capitalism, but a criminal in its core values. The villain, whose only business is to break the democratic process and make money from all kinds of natural resources, is capitalist hero of Modi’s new India.
Indications are beginning to emerge from few right wing cinemas, that nationalism itself can become a solution and alternative option for social economic and political issues of India. Some films propagated BJP-printed nationalism. BJP promoted those films as a such version of nationalism suits its political ideology. At such a time, Anubhav Sinha’s ‘Mulk’ was such an important film that it was said that Indian Muslims also have rights over India. Anubhav Sinha had cleared it, yes it’s his patriotism and nationalism.
In fact, Indian nationalism permeates the very fabric of Indian cinema. It has been expressing every phase of nation building. It has shown his strengths and weaknesses. Whether conscious of its inherent contradictions or not, from one point of view this nationalism was unambiguous. Understanding that nationalism cannot survive unless it is inclusive. It has been insisting that the nationalism that binds Amar Akbar Anthony together is real Indian nationalism.
Av very Few other superstars in Bollywood have done as many issues based films as as ‘Muslim’ Shahrukh Khan. Shahrukh Khan is the superhero of the star era. The blending of their on-screen and real life looks happens gradually. It is an integral part of the film system built on big capital. Still, Shahrukh has been stamping his Indianness through his films. Take ‘Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani’, take ‘Swades’, or take ‘Chak De India’. It underlines the need for creativity among Indian nationalists. The self-proclaimed upper cast Indians, who are full of false patriotism, go to America and do rituals to demonstrate their Indian identity, while the hero of the film ‘Swades’ leaves a high-paying job of NASA in America to work for the development of India.
‘Swades’ calls him to come back and he comes and remains here. This universality is matter of outside of the minds of those who recite Vishwaguru’s mantra. Kabir Khan of ‘Chak De India’ is giving the message that women also have the right to hoist the tricolor flag. Kabir Khan reminds us that the Indianness of ‘Chak De India’ is not limited to just the banks of Ganga, it is a team made up of all the states. India’s team cannot be formed without these states, that is why India is a federal-state.
Releasing a cinema named ‘Pathan’ in Modi’s state is itself a nationalist act. If space is not kept for all-inclusive nationalism, Muslim Indians will have to repeatedly repeat that they are patriots. Using the prevailing rules of nationalism and patriotism in the current situation, Shahrukh made a nationalist ‘Pathan’ film parallel to Hindu nationalism.
The nationalism of ‘Jawan’ is more intense and hence more real. In this film, he won’t fight against any stranger. He fights against the exploitation of farmers. He fights for our people’s education and health. Moreover, it also fights environmental damage and pollution that causes people to breathe poison. This is nationalism which is consistent with social reality. It is a nationalism that inspires honest introspection. On the other hand there is nationalism which questions our condition and emphasizes that democracy should be based on accountability. A farmer’s suicide is the starting point of this story. The second point of departure is humans, who are dying without oxygen. Intruding. A third point of departure is the private Indian capitalists who supply poor quality rifles to the army. The picture is ready. Many such points join together to form this larger ‘nationalist’ canvas.
Of course, this film cannot be compared with Satyajit Rai, nor with Mrinal Sen, Ritwik Ghatak, Shyam Benegal etc. It can be seen from the figures that this is also a blockbuster film. Even its budget of 300 crores was insufficient to complete it, he said. But he didn’t spoil anything, I mean the creators didn’t spoil anything! He has earned seven hundred crores in the first week itself! In fact, Modi should have made an impassioned appeal to the public to clap and clap for Indian capital’s aggressively raising the bar on profit. But to appreciate genuine patriotism one has to be charitable. Is Adani’s stupidity too small to appreciate?
However, while benefiting a huge profits, ‘Jawan’ has done one thing knowingly. It has questioned a system that considers questioners traitors. Questions have been asked to those who called the ‘doctors’ who provide oxygen to the poor in hospitals as traitors. It is not the fault of director Atlee or Shah Rukh Khan, If anyone remembers why Dr. Kafeel Khan was kept in jail, when questioned the medical supplies. And thought-provoking questions have been asked about Supplying fake ventilators in Gujarat and other states during Corona period and tehlka scam and who the Rafale dealmakers might be. Thought-provoking questions have been asked as to how many more innocents are filled in Indian jails. At the end of the film, the protagonist makes a statement, “Hum jaan laga dete hain desh ke liye, tumhare jake desh bijewale ke liye nahi.” It is not the audience’s fault if anyone remembers the song ‘Aya Deshvikreta Dekho, Aya Deshvikreta’ written for Prime Minister Modi after hearing this sentence.
As ‘Pathan’ had a political purpose, so does ‘Jawaan’. There are references to it in the film, as well as outside it. At an event in Mumbai, Shah Rukh candidly said: The film was launched on January 26 and released on Krishna Janmashtami. (By the way, the hero is born in a prison and unleashes evil forces). He announced another piece of news at the event. His film ‘Dunki’, about those who flee abroad under false pretences, will be released on Christmas. If nationalism is imperative for India, it is equally imperative that it be ‘inclusive’.
If ‘Jawan’ has created a real problem for anyone, it is for BJP and Sangh Parivar and its supporters. After the audience showed the dustbin to the threats of boycott by the right wing propaganda machinery and the movie became a huge success, BJP’s spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia has made a ridiculous attempt to smear the movie as being about the corruption of the UPA government. Whether the UPA government was corrupt or not is not the issue at this time as country is ruled by BJP for 9 consecutive years with full majority. The question is whether the BJP, who accommodate stained NCP leader Ajit Pawar and in power since 2014 is corrupt or not.
Inclusivity is what this movie is all about. These women are not humanitarian slaves; They are doers of action. Its story creates true national unity across the country. The life of Vikram Rathod, the hero of this, is saved by a tribe in Northeast India. Even in violence-ridden Manipur, humanity seems to overcome hatred. In the last part of the film, he sings Ramayya Vastavayya and he also makes room for Telugu nationalism. He even associates himself with the socialist lyricist Shailendra, making room for a provincial language in Indian nationalism! He also recalls the declarations of independence and says that independence is not unknown to Indian nationalism.
All this means that the film does not claim to be progressive at all. Whether the cave has a mouth or not, he shows a possibility to clear the doubt. Why is the hero’s name Vikram Rathod a high caste? A similar question has been asked and rightly so. A new cycle of transformation will begin when Kamble or Pasi becomes a hero. But in today’s reality, if films prompt the audience to ask some limited questions, it will be a positive step.
If anything else, the BJP says, if the film ‘Jawaan’ is about the corruption of the UPA government, all BJP-ruled state governments should do one thing. Just like the Kashmir files, Kerala story, ‘Jawan’ should also be shown tax-free. That much merit of national work will fall to BJP governments.
– Dr. Uday Narkar
[Maharashtra State Secretary, Communist Party of India (Marxist)]
