The Rise Of The Indian Right In Bollywood

For decades, the term “Bollywood” has been synonymous with romantic musicals and the larger-than-life Khan trinity. But walk into a multiplex today, and you might notice a shift. The stories being told are different. The hero is no longer just a lover boy; he is a soldier, a strategist, or a devout leader. While this “rise of the Right” in Hindi cinema is often viewed through a political lens, there is another way to look at it: as a powerful and long-overdue homecoming.

For years, the urban elite narrative dominated our screens. The India that existed in the “cow belt” or in the small towns – the India that holds its traditions close and tears up at the sight of the Tricolour – was often reduced to a caricature. Today, that India is finally taking centre stage.

The resurgence of the patriotic drama is perhaps the most visible sign of this shift. We are currently witnessing a renaissance of the kind of cinema that Manoj Kumar, affectionately known as ‘Bharat,’ pioneered in the 1960s and 70s. His films like Upkar (1967) and Kranti (1981) weren’t just entertainment; they were a call to civic duty, inspired by Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri’s iconic slogan, “Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan”.

Today’s films, from Uri: The Surgical Strike to Sam Bahadur, carry that same torch. They are not just jingoistic war cries; they are meticulous tributes to the men and women in uniform. They have redefined what a “hero” looks like for a new generation. The success of these films proves that audiences are hungry for stories that celebrate national resilience and valour. It’s a shift from the individualistic romance to a collective romance with the nation itself.

A significant part of this cultural shift involves the portrayal of faith. For a long time, showing a character as deeply religious on screen was often reserved for the villain or the uneducated sidekick. Today, mainstream films are unafraid to depict the protagonists’ Hindu faith as an integral part of their strength and identity.

This isn’t about excluding the “other,” but rather about including the “self.” India is a deeply spiritual country, and for the majority community, seeing their rituals, their prayers, and their symbols portrayed with dignity on screen is a form of validation. When a hero seeks blessings before a mission or participates in a festival with the same cinematic grandeur as a song sequence, it reflects the reality of the streets. It weaves the country’s cultural fabric into the mainstream narrative without apology.

Critics often look back at the 1950s-70s as the golden era of “secular” cinema, pointing to films that preached Hindu-Muslim unity. While those films were essential in post-Partition India, they often placed secularism above the specific cultural identity of the majority. The current wave, in contrast, is about normalisation. It treats “Indianness” not as a melting pot where everyone loses their distinct flavour, but as a rich tapestry where the dominant colour can be proudly saffron.

This doesn’t mean the death of diversity. The success of films like The Kerala Story or The Kashmir Files – despite the controversies surrounding them – shows that audiences are willing to back stories that challenge the liberal consensus. They are voting with their wallets for narratives they feel have been ignored for too long.

Ultimately, cinema is a mirror to society. The political mandate in India over the past decade has been clear. The public has embraced a leadership that projects strength, cultural pride, and decisiveness. It is only natural that its favourite film industry would follow suit.

This “rise of the Indian Right” in Bollywood is, in essence, the rise of the Indian audience. It is the sound of the heartland finding its voice in the front row. It is a cinema that is finally comfortable in its own skin – proud, rooted, and looking forward to the future with its head held high. And for an industry that has always survived on the love of the masses, listening to that heartbeat is the smartest thing it could ever do.

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