Cinematic Pasts, Political Presents: The Politics of Hindi Historical Films after 2014

Resumen

Following the National Democratic Alliance coalition government led by the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) coming to power in 2014, and particularly since January 2019, there has been a significant uptick in the production of historical films of a kind that can be distinguished from others. These Hindi-language feature films, ‘Hindutva Historicals,’ draw on historical narratives or construct politically charged visions of the past and present aligned with the ideology of the Sangh Parivar  – a conglomerate of Hindu Nationalist organisations which include the BJP and is led by the Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh. These films actively intervene in the construction of historical narratives by misrepresenting ideological opponents, glorifying Hindu heroes, and promoting a vision of Indian history rooted in Hindutva ideology. The article seeks to place these films within the broader historical and political context of the Sangh Parivar’s project of writing Hindutva histories.