The New Mr India

Vijay Krishna Acharya (Director, Dhoom 3)

I don’t think any recent film moved me so much and made me think about my country as much as the Marathi film Fandry. The film is far more representative of Indian cinema than anything else we send to the Oscars and Cannes. The climax shot of Fandry, where the pigs are all out, and the humans stand motionless, as the national anthem plays is probably the most incredible cinematic moment I have seen in a long time. Then there is Hansal Mehta’s Shahid, which compelled me to question the ideas we have of freedom. We embraced freedom with a certain sense of justice and secularism but times are different now and Shahid brought me closer to the reality where the idea of India is challenged. Patriotism is a hazy picture today and these two films showed it. A film like Filmistaan looked at the two-nation theory in a heartwarming way. Humour tends to bridge many things. The film made me conscious about my identity and things, which are perhaps no longer necessary to fight about.

Juhi Chaturvedi (Writer, Vicky Donor)

Patriotism is a question mark for me. Just the other day in a movie theatre when the national anthem was playing, I was one of the few people singing along. Others were just standing, fidgeting and even giving me the looks that it is kind of uncool. You may not remember the lines, but when it is playing you should sing along, I believe. But this also shows that we have lost faith in the system. A film that reflects this cynicism is Paan Singh Tomar. Paan Singh resonates with today’s “patriotism”. When you look at him, you don’t think anybody could have been more patriotic. The film stayed with me for the protagonist’s dignity and pride. But you see how badly he gets insulted and humiliated by the very system he believed in. You can see he is trying to hold back even while committing those crimes, in his actions, his eyes, behaviour. But he gets pushed so badly, that he is left with little choice. The film is a very sad, but true depiction of what happened then, and what is still happening. Another film I can think of is Madras Cafe wherein despite the despair, the film ends on a hopeful note with Tagore’s Where the mind is without fear playing.

Nikhil Advani (Director, D Day)

After 67 years of independence, patriotism is redefined as to doing something for the country, as shown in films such as Bhaag Milkha Bhaag and Mary Kom. It’s not about beating another country but also about winning gold medals and women empowerment. But I still think few pleasures of patriotism remain the same such as India beating Pakistan or England in a cricket match. In Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, for example, when the Indian flag goes up for the first time in independent Pakistan, it’s a huge patriotic feeling or when in my own film, D Day, four Indian soldiers go across the border to bring back India’s most wanted terrorist.

Aanand L Rai (Director, Raanjhanaa)

Right now the idea of patriotism is more within us, more internal, something that Rang De Basanti contributed hugely towards. I can think of Sushant Singh Rajput’s character from Kai Po Che, who wants to nurture a talent to make him the country’s cricket
superstar. Even Abhay Deol’s character from my film Raanjhanaa was deeply patriotic. He was from an affluent Punjabi family, was self-assured and
confident. Yet something was bothering him, so he became  a student union leader from JNU working for slum
dwellers. It’s something very deep and
internal.

Ritesh Batra (Director, The Lunchbox)

People like Amitabh Bachchan and Irrfan help by letting Indian stories travel the world. Last week I was in Japan, and people were asking me if I knew Amitabh Bachchan. I was shooting in Cairo some time back and there also people were asking me about him. I think it is time we export our stories to the world and not just among each other. I think if there is a patriotic story that needs to be told we should share it with everyone. I don’t think films can evoke a message of patriotism. I would never make films to evoke messages on patriotism. It is how people take a message from the film and react to it.

Anand Gandhi (Director, Ship of Theseus)

I don’t think we have begun to engage with the concept of patriotism well. It has been reduced to a category of a folklore. It wasn’t surprising to see that not a single Bhagat Singh film addressed his values. He was an atheist. He had a strong philosophical idea of the world and none of the films engaged with that concept even remotely. That in itself was downright regressive. Nobody is really engaged with the notion of what it means to be identified with a political boundary; what it means for your geography to determine your worldview; what it means to say you belong to a particular community. I am not sure if it is even possible to do it in India. I would love to see it being done in a genuine way. Aamir Khan clearly has that concern but I am yet to see a clear engagement. He definitely seems to be concerned.

Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra (Director, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag)

For me, AR Rahman, with the kind of cinema he has been associated with and great songs such as Vande Mataram and music for Rang De Basanti or a film like Lagaan is an icon of modern India. There are also people like Aamir Khan with shows like Satyamev Jayate on TV. But I don’t think we should be looking at giving labels. Patriotism is not just about waging a war. Increasingly we are telling the story of India. A film like Queen where the issue about gender bias was interpreted very well in a more positive note with a solution rather than just putting it out there is an example. Also, Vicky Donor.

Anjum Rajabali (Writer, Satyagraha)

I’m afraid there is no icon of patriotism today. Frankly, in the history of Hindi cinema only Manoj Kumar managed to cultivate an enduring image of the patriotic hero. However, the defining quality of his patriotism too was purely sentimental in nature. Hence, to an extent some of his films did reflect the pain that comes when a dearly loved country continuously betrays one’s expectations. What you see today is the fast-food edition of patriotism; tokenism, at best. Words and intentions substitute real commitment and action, seeking to validate the spurious love that the hero professes for his country. A love which unfortunately reflects no authentic emotional context. Hence, there is no honest struggle necessary to protect or nurture the country, to deal with the genuine turmoil that it may be in. Only quick-fixes. After all, it is meant to cater to a consumer, not to a citizen. Where, then, is the scope for a real icon of patriotism?

Kausar Munir (Lyricist, Ishaqzaade)

My definition of patriotism is completely different from what is accepted because I feel not everyone is cut out to die for the country or rise and become part of the national consciousness. When we talk of a patriot or a new age nationalist hero, I feel it’s the one who does his/ her job, looks after their family, contributes to society and maintains a harmonious balance in life. The same is reflected in cinema. So for me, a Shashi (Sridevi) in English Vinglish is the hero of today. She does her duty, is true to herself and is not scared in opening newer windows to the world. Sanjay Mishra’s character in Ankhon Dekhi is another hero, for here is a man who questions, and it’s difficult to question in a country like India on matters of religion or nationality for one comment and people will come to kill you. The everyday people who speak up, question and overcome their drawbacks and disabilities like the boy in Taare Zameen Par or inspire like Shah Rukh Khan in Chak De! India or entertain the possibility of changing their lives and have the courage to do it like Irrfan and Nimrit Kaur’s characters in The Lunchbox, are the patriots.