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Indian Express
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
The West has a frozen and false idea of India
As Indian delegations tell the world about Operation Sindoor, it is worth noting the concern many have expressed that while India was militarily successful, the 'narrative' battle was lost. India needs to have a global channel like the BBC, CNN, or Al Jazeera. In 2016, I was invited by Prasar Bharati to be on an expert advisory committee to start an independent global digital news platform. There were two brief meetings that summer, but nothing came of them. Almost 10 years have passed. India lives through one story, but the world sees something else altogether. The cornerstone of the global media's narrative on terrorism today is that it cannot be considered terrorism. It is instead a survival struggle of the oppressed. And the oppressor is a Hindu, from cow protectors to gurus and quiz-show hosts. Movies like Slumdog Millionaire (2008), Hotel Mumbai (2018) and Monkey Man (2024) have hammered home that message. Millions around the world have seen Hindu lynch mobs in their theatres and homes. The news headlines have echoed the pattern, crying 'Hindu nationalism' even after terror attacks by Islamist groups. The Pahalgam massacre, too, was obfuscated in the press. They called it a case of 'indiscriminate firing'. It wasn't. There are several ideas going around in response. One is that India should ignore the Western press and frustrate them. Their credibility is low anyway, some add. This has its merits, but also its risks. Even if readers are sceptical about the US media, they still tend to believe lies when it comes to some issues, like India. This is a case of the Gell-Mann amnesia effect. Another issue is the gap between popular and elite opinion. When delegations visit, they meet officials, but the real storytelling needs to happen with the public, in schools, colleges, and so on. Another key limitation is that India's version of its story is only 'world famous in India' or in weekend gatherings of the Indian diaspora. The mainstream mind of millions of Americans is being churned by billions of dollars of investment in media and higher education made by foreign governments and interests, shaping narratives inside the US in their favour. As The Free Press puts it, Qatar has 'bought' America. But the key factor here is not just money. Its officials also learned exactly how to 'push the buttons' and win the hearts and minds of even the most progressive college students. India's image, on the other hand, is still largely what it has been since the 1920s and the Anglo-American intelligence project known to us as Katherine Mayo's Mother India (1927). Its tropes have survived the Civil Rights movement, the hippy era, the Cold War, and the Y2K boom. No one has really sought to change it at a foundational level. Perhaps, the assumption is that it doesn't have consequences for us as individuals. But there is a cost to living in an ecology of false narratives. Some in the diaspora blindly accept the local media narratives about India. Others cope creatively, citing stories like how Obama kept a Hanuman figurine in his pocket. But for the most part, there is uneasiness about the reality of being held in a narrative hostage situation. A topic like racism or Hinduphobia often leaves heads hanging in Indian social gatherings. India simply has no narrative abroad, nothing that sticks in the American public like, 'This is what we stand for.' This absence is not just due to a leadership lag. It is also cultural. Historically, we don't have stories that drive us to impose them on others. We just produce enough at a micro-level to cope, while others try to do that to us. The West's narrative dominance must be seen not only in terms of technology but also in relation to its cultural roots in propagated religion. In Biblical movies like The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965), or the heartwarming 1970s comedy Oh God!, one finds attention to not just the duty, but also to the joys of spreading one's message, of communicating. And today, even if religion has declined among American youth, the zeal to believe in a cause is as strong as ever – be it for Palestine or LGBTQ rights or climate change. This passion doesn't just occur naturally. There are well-organised institutions built around expertise and experience that help students here channel their expressive power from a young age into lifelong careers in media, arts, journalism, activism, teaching, and so on. Whether it's a prophet of doom or a herald of hope, the tropes about the messenger are very much around here. In India, on the other hand, even the sage Narada has been caricatured and denigrated from a revered status to a TV show jester in just a few decades. The world's biggest battleground today is for attention. India has already been fixed as a target on this battlefield. Its symptoms are showing up more and more in the West. After the Pulwama attack, Trevor Noah laughed and sang 'Time for you to die!' in a clumsy effort to urge peace between India and Pakistan. This time around, Jimmy Dore sneered over a clip of Arnab Goswami talking about the pain we felt about Pahalgam and imitated his accent, something usually considered racist in America. Not just decency, but even facts fly out of the window these days on American TV. After the 2024 elections, Bill Maher smugly claimed that Narendra Modi had lost the elections. In an isolated, premodern world, none of this might have mattered. But today, we have to choose whether to be the Pied Piper or the mice. The writer is professor of Media Studies, University of San Francisco
India.com
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- India.com
8 Hard-Hitting Bollywood Films Based On Real-Life Terror Attacks: Uri, Black Friday To Neerja
photoDetails english 2903712 Updated:May 21, 2025, 08:16 AM IST Bollywood Films Based On Real-Life Terror Attacks 1 / 9 Bollywood Films Based On Real-Life Terror Attacks: Today, let's go back in time and revisit some of the most impressive and talked about movies which were based on the plot of real-life terror attacks, leaving a lasting impact. Neerja 2 / 9 Neerja is a 2016 biographical thriller film directed by Ram Madhvani and written by Saiwyn Quadras and Sanyuktha Chawla Shaikh. The film stars Sonam Kapoor as the eponymous lead, with Shekhar Ravjiani, Shabana Azmi, Yogendra Tiku, Kavi Shastri and Jim Sarbh in supporting roles. It was based on a real-life event of attempted hijacking of Pan Am Flight 73 in Karachi, Pakistan by Libyan-backed Abu Nidal Organization on 5 September 1986. The film shows how head purser of the flight, Neerja Bhanot died trying to help save the passengers and crew, of whom 359 of the 379 on board survived. Uri: The Surgical Strike 3 / 9 Uri: The Surgical Strike is a war action film written and directed by debutant Aditya Dhar and produced by Ronnie Screwvala under the RSVP Movies banner. An account based on the real story of the retaliation to the 2016 Uri attack, the film stars Vicky Kaushal along with Yami Gautam, Paresh Rawal, Kirti Kulhari and Mohit Raina in pivotal roles. The Attacks Of Mumbai 26/11 4 / 9 The Attacks of 26/11 is a 2013 action thriller film directed by Ram Gopal Varma, based on the book Kasab: The Face of 26/11 by Rommel Rodrigues about Ajmal Kasab, then sole surviving perpetrator of the 2008 Mumbai attacks. The film stars Sanjeev Jaiswal in his film debut and Nana Patekar. Mumbai Meri Jaan 5 / 9 Mumbai Meri Jaan is a 2008 film directed by Nishikant Kamat and produced by Ronnie Screwvala. It stars R Madhavan, Irrfan Khan, Soha Ali Khan, Paresh Rawal and Kay Kay Menon. It deals with the aftermath of the 11 July 2006 Mumbai train bombings, where 209 people lost their lives and over 700 were injured. Hotel Mumbai 6 / 9 Hotel Mumbai is a 2018 independent action thriller film directed by Anthony Maras and co-written by Maras and John Collee. It is inspired by the 2009 documentary Surviving Mumbai about the 2008 Mumbai attacks at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in India. The film stars Dev Patel, Armie Hammer, Nazanin Boniadi, Anupam Kher, Tilda Cobham-Hervey, Jason Isaacs, Suhail Nayyar, Nagesh Bhosle, and Natasha Liu Bordizzo. Black Friday 7 / 9 Black Friday is a 2004 crime film written and directed by Anurag Kashyap. Based on Black Friday: The True Story of the Bombay Bomb Blasts, a book by Hussain Zaidi about the 1993 Bombay bombings, it chronicles the events that led to the blasts and the subsequent police investigation. Produced by Arindam Mitra of Mid-Day, the film stars Pawan Malhotra, Kay Kay Menon, Aditya Srivastava, Kishor Kadam and Zakir Hussain. Bell Bottom 8 / 9 Bell Bottom is a 2021 action thriller film directed by Ranjit M Tewari. The film is written by Aseem Arrora and Parveez Sheikh. It stars Akshay Kumar as the lead character, with Vaani Kapoor, Lara Dutta and Huma Qureshi in an extended cameo appearance. Bell Bottom is inspired from real life hijacking events in India by Khalistani terrorists during the 1980s, such as the Indian Airlines Flight 423, 405 and 421 hijackings. Batla House 9 / 9 Batla House is a 2019 action thriller film written by Ritesh Shah, and directed by Nikkhil Advani. Inspired by the Batla House encounter case that took place on 19 September 2008, the film stars John Abraham portraying the titular protagonist. The film showcases the encounter, and in its aftermath.
India.com
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- India.com
Uri to Neerja: 7 movies inspired by real-life terror attacks and where to watch
Inspired by true events, Bell Bottom follows the story of a spy thriller who focuses on India's government to rescue hostages from a Hijacked Indian Airlines flight- one of the incidents that occurred in early 80s. The film, starring Akshay Kumar as a RAW agent, salutes India's early counter-terror efforts. Where To Watch- Amazon Prime Video Hotel Mumbai is a horrifying account of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, focusing on the siege of the Taj Mahal hotel. Directed by Anthony Maras, the film stars Dev Patel, Armie Hammer, and Nazanin Boniadi. Where to Watch- Zee 5 Helmed by Anurag Kashyap, Black Friday is based on the horrifying Bombay bomb blasts that occurred in 1993. The film features Kay Kay Menon, Pawan Malhotra, Aditya Srivastava, Kishor Kadam, and Zakir Hussain. Where to watch- YouTube Directed by Ram Gopal Varma, the film focuses on the events surrounding the 2008 Mumbai attacks, after the story of how the terrorists carried out the coordinated strikes on several locations in the city. It stars actor Ajmal Kasab, playing the role of terrorist, and Nana Patekar as Rakesh Maria, then Join Commissioner of Police Where to watch- JioHotstar Helmed by Ram Madhvani and starring Sonam Kapoor in lead role, Neerja showcases an extraordinary bravery act of courageous flight attendant Neeraj Bhanot, who saved passengers during the hijacking of Pan Am Flight 73 in Karachi on September 5, 1986. Where to Watch- JioHotsar Released in 2019, Uri: The Surgical Strike is based on the Indian Army's 2016 surgical strikes against major Indian terror groups across the LOC, following the deadly attack on Indian Army in Uri. Helmed by Aditya Dhar, the film stars Vicky Kaushal, Yami Gautam, Paresh Rawal, Kirti Kulhari, and Mohit Raina. Where to Watch- Zee 5 and URI The film New York revolves around three friends studying whose carefree and pleasant lives changed by September 11 attacks and its aftermath. Directed by Kabir Khan and bankrolled by Aditya Chopra, the film stars John Abraham, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Katrina Kaif and Irrfan Khan. Where to Watch- Amazon Prime Video
