Patriotism is a formula that almost always works at the box office. But unlike the past, where Bollywood films spoke against foreign threats like the British Raj, patriotic movies these days aim at fighting domestic demons like corruption and other social evils. While films like Lagaan, Chak de India and Rang de Basanti not only made big money at the box office, they also stirred jingoistic emotions among the audience. In recent times films like Aarakshan and Rajneeti took on the burning issue of corruption and reservation and once again brought to light the country’s dire socio-political scenario.
Says 18-year-old Harsh Sathe, “Bollywood has the power to stir up emotions in the youth unlike anything else. Filmmakers should use this as a tool to ignite minds and garner support from the people to fight social evils. Personally, A Wednesday motivated me to bring about some change myself.”
The experience has been no different for Harsh Trivedi, who was encouraged to join the army after watching his favourite stars in Lakshya. “Watching my icon on screen doing such a positive role really encouraged me to take up the challenge myself,” he says.
Independence day is especially a good time to release these films as patriotic emotions run high believes Documentary filmmaker Sunidhi Putran. “As a filmmaker one has the power to reach out to thousands of people. They should make use of it to spread social messages,” she says.