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Abstract:
In the present-day context where the opinions of the common man are heavily influenced by the media. We will explore how nationalism is built within a community and used by the media to further its agendas and exploit its people. We will be focusing on the movie Uri: The Surgical Strike (2019) and how Bollywood built a nationalistic identity in ways that are advantageous to the Indian government. The commercial success of the film is all the more reason to examine it and understand what narrative is being pushed on the common man. Among the rising tensions between India and Pakistan, it is essential that war movies are examined carefully. In this paper, we will be attempting to critically analyse the movie and how Bollywood has inculcated nationalism using a common enemy i.e. Pakistan.
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Introduction:
Mass Media is communication be it written, spoken or broadcast, that reaches a large audience. This includes radio, TV, internet, films, newspapers, magazines and so forth. It has a significant force on modern cultures. Of all means of mass communication, films are perhaps the most impactful as it comes the closest when depicting reality. Films are a reflection of the society we live in but the same is true the other way around as well. Narrative persuasion perfectly explains this, it is a theory which suggests that people are more likely to be persuaded by information when presented within a narrative. (Green and Brock, 2000; Moyer-Gusé and Dale, 2017). It results from a mechanism called psychological transportation where an individual feels emotionally and cognitively transported into the narrative. The more mentally drawn they are to the narrative, the more they are likely to develop story-consistent beliefs and attitudes. People exercise preferences when it comes to consuming media but often mass media corporations get to decide which stories to tell and promote. Especially when it comes to forms of mass communication that are costly to produce such as major motion pictures. Hence films are an important tool when it comes to influencing the people
Having been legitimised over the last couple of decades, Bollywood has emerged as an Indian soft power. Bollywood is a powerful tool and has extensive cultural influences all over the country as its economic interests are intertwined with that of the political and ideological orientation of the Indian government(Schaefer & Karan, 2010; Wagner, 2010). The government has used Bollywood and its potential to promote economic, political, ideological and cultural interests in the global markets. Taking into consideration the influence of media and these significant developments, we must take a look and identify the role of Bollywood in the construction of identities through nationalistic narratives. The images of organizations painted by the media heavily influence the perception of a nation. Media are not independent players; they are intrinsically linked to the political and economic processes controlled by the elite as they depend upon the government for policies and protections that serve their capitalist interests (Mosco, 2009). To protect their interests, culture industries actively cooperate with the government to avoid flak, which, according to (Herman and Chomsky, 2002), is criticism by elites when they find media operating against their interest.
Literature Review
Nationalism can be defined as the pride one feels for its country while advocating and supporting the interests of one’s own nation. It is an ideology expressed by people who believe that their country is superior to others. Nationalism is a growing obsession in India, especially given the current social and political scenario. Nationalism is often used as a political tool by the people in power to maintain a narrative or further one’s political motives. As it can be observed in history that surges of nationalism are morally ambiguous. National awakening can be both heroic and cruel. We may view it as a band of people grouping together and working towards the common interests of their nation. What could possibly be wrong with that? But, this sentiment can be used to create a divide between us and the ‘others’ of the society. A group can feel threatened and feel the need to protect themselves resorting to violence and yielding inhuman consequences towards a group they perceive as the enemy.
The treatment of the Jews in Nazi Germany is perhaps the best example of how nationalism was used as a tool for the ethnic cleansing of the marginalised community. The Holocaust was a result of lies propagated by Adolf Hitler. He realised the importance of it and it is this instilled nationalism within the Germans that led to the rise of Hitler, resulting in the genocide of the European Jews. Although it has its negative aspects, nationalism is what binds the people together providing a sense of social and cultural stability.
National identity can be characterised by common ties such as language, place of origin, culture, etc. However, if we go by this definition, it is not fitting for a secular country like India. There is no base for uniformity as it has various religions, languages, and cultures. Even the historical backgrounds vary vastly. Perhaps, the importance of nationalism is even more important for a diverse country like ours. We need to be encouraged and identify as a nation leaving aside our regional and cultural differences. It is a name, flag, anthem, and struggle against a common enemy that serves as a sort of uniformity which may just unite its people.
In India, the growth of nationalism is directly linked to the anti-colonial movement. Exhausted from the effects of colonialism, the people of India found unity in trying to cope with and overthrow the British Government. Being oppressed under colonialism provided a shared bond that brought together different groups of people subjected to the same atrocities. This nationalism which was born as an attempt to liberate India from the foreign rule has transformed into something completely different altogether. Nationalism in India has taken the face of abhorrence towards Pakistan. Since the partition, the two countries have never been at peace engaging in several wars and border conflicts and disputes over the valley of Kashmir. We will specifically be analysing the movie Uri: The Surgical Strike (2019) and how deeply rooted it is in nationalistic virtues.
Summary of Uri: The Surgical Strike (2019)
Aditya Dhar’s Uri: The Surgical Strike (2019) is a movie about the passion and affection of a nation that caters to the audience in India and outside India. The movie shows the skilful planning and execution of the surgical strike in the AJK Administrative Territory, Pakistan. This is a response to the massacre of 19 Indian soldiers fast asleep at the brigade headquarters at Uri, Jammu & Kashmir. The tragic event unfolded at dawn by four heavily armed terrorists disguised as militants from Pakistan. The entire movie is shown in a total of five chapters, in an episodic way. In the movie, it is shown how a team of commandos kill 6 terrorist launch pads successfully led by Major Vihaan Singh.
Analysis
The movie is a dramatised version of the actual events that unfolded. The disclaimer clearly states that the movie is inspired by true events. However, there are fictional themes and characters in the film for dramatic effect which is true for other movies based on true events as well. But this movie takes the cake away as many of the claims made by India have been rejected by Pakistan officials. The Indian government claims to have killed 35-70 terrorists in the attack. On the other hand, Pakistan claimed that no such thing happened and it was merely a conflict at the borders injuring 9 Pakistani troops and resulting in the death of 2.
The first chapter in the film titled ‘Seven Sisters’ starts a year before the surgical strike with an ambush on the Indian Army in Chandel, Manipur. Major Vihaan Shergill played by Vicky Kaushal retaliates along with his unit which includes his brother-in-law Major Karan Kashyap. The commandos are relentless and do not give up, the Indian army is portrayed as invincible. So much so that all the illegal terrorist activities have been to an end as a result of this brawl. After a successful strike and killing of the leaders responsible for the ambush follows a congratulatory dinner with the Prime Minister of India. There is no hiding it as the attire of the fictional prime minister matches with our current PM who belongs to the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP).
In the second chapter, we see Major Vihaan spending time in Delhi with his mom. Upon requesting retirement, he is offered a desk job in Delhi instead. Thus fulfiling his wish to be closer to his mother who is suffering from Alzheimer's. We can see how the protagonist is glorified and doesn’t have a single flaw in his character except for being too patriotic. He is a perfectionist and ensures all his soldiers return to safety leaving no one behind. Vihaan is portrayed as the ideal son, a good citizen and the will to die for the country is a cherry on top of it all. In this chapter, the unsettled relationship between India and Pakistan can be observed with several references to minor attacks all of which were attempted by the Pakistani terrorists resulting in the final Pathankot attack.
It is in the third chapter that the premise of the movie is set. An attack on Uri, in Jammu and Kashmir, killed 19 soldiers one of which is Karan, the brother-in-law of the protagonist. The little girl alone mourning for her martyred father Karan Kashyap captures the emotions of the audience. The girl beside her pregnant mother gives one last tribute by shouting “Courage and Truth in war” as the soldiers behind continue the slogan and yell in unison that “Sacrifice is the utmost duty”. The audience is feeling just as much grief, pride, and rage as the characters on screen. Such a heavily emotional scene may go unnoticed but the battle cry in itself heavily imposes patriotism and nationalism. Both the families are devastated at this point, and it is this human side of the Army and the effects of the war that move the audience and makes them relate to the characters even more so. The National Security Advisor presents the idea of a surgical strike to which the Prime Minister gives a thumbs up and the plan is soon to be put into action. This is where the government propaganda is being pushed where the PM who is clearly a depiction of Narendra Modi states that it’s his duty to safeguard India. So far it has been emphasised that India has never made the first moves when it comes to attacking and it is in between these conversations that the idea of a New India is being talked about. An India that doesn’t tolerate wrong-doings.
And as do all Bollywood movies possess we are shown the song “Behe Chala” which walks us through the happy family life of the soldiers and makes us connect with them. Another song named “Challa” is played when the soldiers are preparing for the strike. The rigorous training, firing of cannons, and shooting practice are all shown in the sequence of the song only adding to the dramatic element. The energetic song not only pumps you with adrenaline but also small doses of patriotism as you sit tight and are clenched with all the tension that has been built up. The song also shows Muslim soldiers praying, feeding into the ‘Good Muslim narrative, who is just as patriotic as his Hindu teammate. Now, there is nothing wrong with this but none of the Hindu soldiers were shown praying.
In chapter three, the movie plot is furthered as the locations of the terrorist are extracted. What is noteworthy is that captain Vihaan chooses Seerat to be his pilot who is introduced earlier in the film. She is a widow trying to prove her patriotism to the nation by filling in her martyred husband’s shoes. Now, if it were any other movie then Kaushal’s characters would be clubbed with that of the pilot but he is a man of honour and as do all men of honour, they don’t hit on widows. We live in the 21st century so nationalism isn’t limited to men, it is intersectional now. This character successfully instils nationalistic sentiments within the female audience making them believe that they too can participate in nationalistic activities which were earlier limited to men.
We mustn’t miss the famous dialogue from the movie which is “how is the Josh? Which translates to how is the spirit. As the soldiers along with the audience members chants ‘high sir’. This took to the internet and became viral over social media platforms, adding to the hype and driving more audiences to theatres. The film only focused on the bravery of the soldiers without touching upon the mental and moral implications of war. Time and again we observe how the Pakistani officials are incompetent, amateur and lacking skills be it on the battlefield or otherwise. In a scene where we observe a Pakistani official at work, he is portrayed as unprofessional who burps and is sloppy even when speaking to a superior. The few minutes of screen time that the Pakistanis get is also not fair.
As per Indian media 3 teams of 70-80 commandos each were a part of the operation and the movie depicted a total of 80 commandos divided into 4 teams. It is unlikely that the operation sailed smoothly, killing all terrorists and managing to return unharmed. India said that one of its soldiers was in the custody of Pakistan. No such detail is mentioned in the movie. The formal dinner towards the end leaves no space for a counter-perspective. Throughout the film, the cheers of the audience in the theatre go to prove how thrilled they are, forgetting that there is no real victory in war. According to the BBC report by M. Ilyas “despite the claims in the Indian media, the BBC could find little evidence that militants had been hit.” A Pakistani defence analyst by the name of Hasan Aksari Rizvi published in the New York Times that it was a ploy by the Indian Government. There is no way to know the actuality of these events.
Now that there is a film based on the events, it is easier for the audience to digest these events that show the ruling party in the limelight. The success of the movie goes to prove how easy it is to influence the common man under the name of patriotism. The movie has become the 5th highest-grossing Bollywood film of 2019. It made Rs 8.20 crore and earned a total amount of Rs 245.36 crore in its eleven-week run in theatres. The box office performance was that in just 28 days of screening worldwide, it made 300 crores. The movie has gotten 12 awards, which is highly commendable. This goes to prove that this movie is based on the sentiments of one’s pride towards the military and the government.
The timing of the movie’s release is suspicious in itself as it blatantly endorses the ruling party. This film was released on January 11th, 2019 across movie theatres in India very conveniently, just a few months before the Indian General elections. It is no coincidence that the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) started its election campaign on January 12th, 2019 a day after the film’s release. The result was declared on May 23rd, 2019, after counting the votes. The BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) earned 37.36% of the vote, which is the highest vote share since the 1989 general election by any political party. They won 303 seats. Also, the BJP-led (Bharatiya Janata Party) National Democratic Alliance (NDA) won 353 seats.
Conclusion
Media prosper from selling conflict without necessarily caring about the legitimacy and nature of the conflict (Herman & Chomsky, 2002; McChesney, 2008). It is no new practice for the Indian media to portray nationalist sentiments in ways that morally disengage the audience, making violence acceptable. And URI is just that, an exaggerated version of a "supposedly" real event. The film which is all about soldiers fighting to keep their motherland safe is full of a ‘desh-bhakti’ attitude which is portrayed in this well-piercing and sharp element of a ‘war film'. The physical fight between the soldier and the terrorist depicts a typical Bollywood heroic show. Nationalism summons all over this war drama that leads to it. It mind mines the grief, pain, and suffering of a soldier’s family when they lose their close and loved ones in an attack. The over-the-top storyline, the hint of jingoism in their dialogues like "unhe Kashmir chaihye, humein unka sar", which translates to “they desire Kashmir while we desire their heads on a platter” and the obvious Bollywood-style combat scene captured the hearts and attention of the viewers all around the world. Had the movie been released 20 years in the future it would’ve been a tribute to the Indian Army. However, it just seems like a cheap ploy by the ruling government to cash in votes. It is time we come together as a nation not to watch Pakistan bleed but truly unite.
References:
Green, M. C. & Brock, T. C. (2005); Moyer-Gusé and Dale, (2017) “These are just stories, Mulder: to Conspiracist Fiction Does Not Produce Narrative” Retrieved from https://www.frontiersin.org/articles...00684/full#B43
Schaefer, D. J., & Karan, K. (2010) “Cross-dressing to go to bat for India and for love, too. The New York Times” Retrieved from http://movies.nytimes.com/2009/09/19/movies/19dil.html
Mosco, V. (2008) “Current trends in the political economy of communication. Global Media Journal”
Herman, E. S., & Chomsky, N. (2002). “Manufacturing consent: The political economy of the mass media”
Nationalism, “Standford encyclopedia”, Retrieved from https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/nationalism/
Khan, Ilyas M. “Indian ‘surgical strikes’ in Kashmir: Truth or Illusion?”. BBC News, 22 Oct. 2016, http://www.bbc.com/news/amp/world-as...rrer=#Article/
“The Role and Influence of Mass Media”. Retrieved from https://www.cliffsnotes.com/study-gu...0the%20culture.