Bollypolitics - World Cinema by Ajay Gehlawat Paperback

About the Book

An in depth consideration of sociopolitical shifts in Indian culture and their effects on, and representations in, popular Hindi cinema (Bollywood) during the reign of Narendra Modi.

Book Synopsis

Winner ofBest Monograph at the 2025 BAFTSS Awards.

This bookprovides an in-depth exploration of the evolving landscape of Bollywood cinema in response to recent socio-political changes in India, including a surge in sectarian violence and the ascent of Hindutva, or Hindu nationalism, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership.

Through a comprehensive analysis of prominent filmmakers and actors like Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Kangana Ranaut, Akshay Kumar, and Anupam Kher, Ajay Gehlawat investigates the extent to which their recent works align with key tenets of the Hindutva movement. He scrutinizes the growing influence of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on film production, manifesting in collaborations covering diverse themes, from Modi's Clean India initiative to the nation's space exploration endeavors and grand historical epics such as Padmaavat (2018) and Manikarnika (2019) that seek to reshape Indian history in line with Hindutva ideology.

Gehlawat goes on to dissect smaller budget films like Article 15 (2019) and Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan (2020), which tackle pressing social issues like caste-based violence and homophobia exacerbated by the surge in right-wing extremism in India. In doing so, he elucidates the profound and far-reaching impact of Hindutva ideology on Indian cinematic narratives and aesthetics, while also considering the broader implications for Indian society as a whole.

Review Quotes

Bollypoliticsis a compelling and contemporary critical reading of key Bollywood films and protagonists in the context of India's political landscape and leadership. As insightful and revealing as the book is about the workings of popular cinema, it is equally telling of the production of culture, representation and identities under particular political maneuvers.

In this fervently composed book that minces no words, Gehlawat proffers an extensive examination of Bollywood's changing dynamics in relation to present sociopolitical transformations in India, notably an increase in communal violence and the rise of right-wing Hindu nationalism.
Studies in South Asian Film & Media

This monograph is an engaging work that is an important (and timely) read for students and scholars of religion, politics, film and media studies, and South Asian studies.
South Asian History and Culture

About the Author

Ajay Gehlawat is Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies, Theatre and Film at Sonoma State University, USA. He is author of Twenty-First Century Bollywood (2015) and Reframing Bollywood (2010). He is the editor of The Slumdog Phenomenon (2013) and co-editor of The Evolution of Song and Dance in Hindi Cinema (2019).