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The film 'Swatantrya Veer Savarkar' has been released today i.e. 22nd March. In the film, Randeep Hooda is playing the role of politician and revolutionary freedom fighter Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. This is his first film as a director. The film being released amid the election atmosphere is being called a propaganda movie. Some controversies are also emerging regarding the film. Subhash Chandra Bose's great grandson has objected to a scene in the trailer.
By the way, even before Swatantra Veer Savarkar, there have been controversies over many films and they have been accused of being propaganda movies. Some films were not released at all to avoid controversies, while some reached theaters after a long struggle.
Interestingly, in the present era, only two films considered as propaganda – The Kashmir Files and The Kerala Story – have been successful at the box office, earning a total of Rs 645 crore. Had earned.
Today we will tell you what are propaganda movies and which films had controversies before their release…
Before this, know why the film 'Swatantrya Veer Savarkar' is in controversy
Controversy 1: After watching the trailer, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose's great grandson Chandra Kumar Bose has objected to a scene. He has accused the makers of tarnishing the image of Subhash Chandra Bose. In this scene, Veer Savarkar says to Subhash Chandra Bose – 'Attack the British with modern weapons of Germany and Japan.
Randeep Hooda in a scene from the film.
Chandra Kumar Bose wrote on social media, 'Randeep Hooda- I appreciate you for making a film on 'Savarkar', but please avoid associating the name of 'Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose' with Savarkar. Netaji was a secular leader and patriot.
Controversy 2: There has also been a debate on social media over the complexion of the actor playing the role of Bhimrao Ambedkar in the film. People have objection that the casting of Bhimrao Ambedkar's character in the film has not been good. Seeing the appearance of the actor, he is giving a caste angle to this casting.
Why is Swatantra Veer Savarkar being called a propaganda film?
Congress has also been raising questions on the image of Veer Savarkar as a freedom fighter. In such a situation, 'Have you ever wondered why no Congress member was punished with black water?' For example, due to the dialogues the film is being termed as anti-Congress.
The film is being accused of setting anti-Mahatma Gandhi sentiments because in it 'Mahatma Gandhi was not bad, but if he had not stuck to his non-violent thinking, India would have become independent 35 years ago.' Like there are dialogues.
On being called a propaganda movie, Randeep Hooda has clarified in an interview that he has made this film by selling his house and has not taken funding from anyone.
Now read what are propaganda movies…
Propaganda movies are those through which an attempt is made to set some kind of agenda or show propaganda. Films that involve promotion of important and controversial issues of the country, politics or individuals associated with politics, and government policies.
Apart from this, films made on religion, community, riots and caste violence and historical subjects, in which one particular religion is shown as heroic and another religion is shown as cruel, are called propaganda or agenda movies. The trend of such films has increased before the Lok Sabha elections in April.
1) Movie: 72 Hooren
Release Date: July 7, 2023
Story: It was shown in the film how youth, misled by fundamentalists, turn themselves into suicide bombers. It was claimed that this film is based on true events. Controversies started over the film soon after the trailer was released.
Mumbai's social activist Syed Arif Ali Mahmood Ali had lodged an FIR against the makers. In this, the four producers including the film's director Sanjay Puran Singh and Ashok Pandit were accused of insulting religion and showing a wrong image of a particular community. Along with this, in the FIR the makers were also accused of earning money through fake propaganda. The film was a flop.
2) Movie – Ajmer 92
Release Date: 21 July 2023
Story: The story of the film Ajmer 92 was based on the country's biggest rape scandal, which took place in Ajmer, Rajasthan. Around 250 girls were blackmailed with their objectionable photos and videos and raped for months. Influential people of Ajmer were involved in this incident. When it was revealed in 1992, the entire country was stunned.
Representatives of Muslim community and officials of Ajmer Sharif Dargah Committee had raised strong objections regarding the movie. He was accused of targeting people of the same community through the film. A warning was also given by the Dargah Committee that if any attempt is made to damage the image of Ajmer Sharif Dargah and Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, legal action will be taken. The film proved to be a flop.
Adah Sharma played the lead role in 'The Kerala Story'.
3) Movie: The Kerala Story
Release Date: May 5, 2023
Story: Directed by Sudipto Sen, this film was the story of students from Kerala, who are converted and used for the agenda of ISIS. This film was based on a real story, although it was embroiled in controversies. There was talk of torture of 32 thousand girls in the film, on which there was controversy. This protest, which started from Kerala, was discussed across the country. On one hand, BJP described the film as a film that exposes the real face of terrorism. At the same time, many opposition parties including Congress and TMC called it a propaganda movie.
Leader of Opposition in Kerala Assembly VD Satheesan had said that an attempt is being made to tarnish the image of the Kerala state. He alleged that the Sangh was running an agenda of spreading hatred in Kerala.
After the controversy escalated, the makers of the film removed the mention of 32000 girls from the trailer. However, the film benefited greatly from controversies. The film collected approximately Rs 305 crore at the box office.
Stars like Anupam Kher, Mithun, Pallavi Joshi worked in 'The Kashmir Files'.
4) Movie: The Kashmir Files
Release Date: 11 March 2022
The Kashmir Files told the story of the torture inflicted on Kashmiri Pandits during the Kashmir insurgency in 1990. Director Vivek Agnihotri was accused of making the film keeping only one aspect in mind.
Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid, in the closing ceremony of the 53rd International Film Festival held in Goa in 2023, had called 'The Kashmir Files' a vulgar and propaganda film, which deepened the controversy.
He had said that we were disturbed and surprised after watching this film. This film is not appropriate for such a prestigious film festival. The film came into discussion due to controversies. The film, made for Rs 12 crores, did a business of Rs 340 crores.
Film: The Accidental Prime Minister
Release date: January 11, 2019
The film 'The Accidental Prime Minister', based on the book written by Sanjay Baru on former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, was embroiled in controversies even before its release.
In Baru's book 'The Accidental Prime Minister' published in 2014, it was said that there was a Prime Minister named Manmohan Singh and power was controlled by UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi. These things were presented prominently in this film also.
The controversy deepened after the trailer of the film was tweeted by the official handle of BJP. Congress leaders became aggressive and demands were raised to stop the release of the film.
There was also talk of banning it in Congress ruled states, but this was later refuted by the party. The film was released, but it could not do well at the box office.
Aandhi was banned in 1975, prints of 'Kissa Kursi Ka' were burnt
Cases of controversy over films are not new. The film Aandhi, made in 1975, was banned by Indira Gandhi during the Emergency. Later, it was released when the Janata Party government was formed in 1977, but Indira again came to power in 1980.
Suchitra Sen and Sanjeev Kumar played the lead roles in the film 'Aandhi'.
In 1975, all the copies including the master print of the film 'Kissa Kursi Ka' directed by Janata Party MP Amrit Nahta were burnt by Sanjay Gandhi's supporters during the Emergency. This film was made based on the working style of Indira Gandhi and Sanjay Gandhi.
Sanjay Gandhi and the then Information and Broadcasting Minister Vidya Charan Shukla were also punished for destroying this film. However, this decision was later cancelled. Nahata made this film in 1978 with a new cast, but in 1980, Congress returned to power. Later Nahta himself joined Congress.
In 1993, Kuttarapathirikal, a film based on the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, also faced a ban. It could be released in 2007.
