Nationalist Actors and War Room in Indian TV Studios

India Today TV now has a War Room. This is the studio, complete with sandbags, a map of Jammu and Kashmir, spooky lighting with a 60-watt bulb hanging on top, guns in the background and Ram Gopal Varma-like camerawork, from where the anchors tell you what’s happening on the Line of Control. General GD Bakshi chips in as guest, his booming gunfire as impactful as Sunny Deol’s dhai kilo ka haath.

On a neighbouring channel, the Arnab Goswami Howitzer has been deployed for months, targeting Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Karachi. Every other night, he engages with retired Pakistan generals and admirals in entertaining mock fights, with insults of the Roast variety, reminding them of 1965 and 1971. Indian television in battle mode is one start-up that is witnessing maximum seed capital investment.

In the last fortnight, the broadcast media was quick to latch on to the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena and Shiv Sena-led call for boycott of Pakistani actors because in a jaw-for-a-tooth India, it is a TRP belter. The ‘Pakistanis Go Back’ Quit India movement of 2016 was tailor-made for the television media that revels in reducing everything to black and white. The Hindi film industry was asked to take a position.

India or Pakistan? Amritsar or Lahore? Kohli or Afridi? Anupam Kher or Fawad Khan?

One of the definitions of a patriot, post-Uri, is someone who will eschew working with Pakistani actors or perhaps will not watch any movie starring Pakistani actors. The argument is that when Pakistan is in a state of proxy war with India, Mumbai cannot engage in cultural ties with Karachi. So the filmmaker who is fine with this ‘ban’ is dubbed truly nationalistic, while those who do not join the jingoistic chorus, are labelled dodgy characters, who deserve to be sent to Pakistan.

Mind you, it is not the government of India or even mainstream opposition parties who are saying this. It is not like the boycott of South Africa when it was practising apartheid and no country had sporting ties with it. This is a media-generated surround sound, degenerating into a cacophony so loud, that it drowns every sane voice in the bedlam.

The television media is the new casting director of the heroes and villains of Bollywood. ‘Villain’ number one, Salman Khan, who merely pointed out the legal position that Pakistani actors are not terrorists and came to India with valid visa and work permit. Villain number 2, Om Puri. The Ardh Satya actor faced his moment of truth during his ‘court martial’ in Justice Arnab Goswami’s court.

The ‘hero’ of the week was Ajay Devgn who said as of now, he will not act with Pakistani actors. Applause followed, with media saying ‘Ajay does what Salman did not’.

The media charge against the likes of Fawad and singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan is that they did not condemn Pakistan-sponsored Uri terror attack. At one level, it is a fair expectation that they should take a position publicly. But then can they afford to, in their unruly land? Will they be spared if they spoke against Pakistan-sponsored terrorism sitting in Lahore? To my mind, the actors are irrelevant to the plot where the main role is being played by the non-state actors like Hafiz Saeed and Maulana Masood Azhar, with the Pakistan army writing the screenplay.

For argument’s sake, let us say we listen to the media and the Thackerays and boycott the Pakistani actors. Let us tell the world it cannot be business as usual. But is this cultural untouchability that the media – largely hawkish – is batting for, the best way to isolate Pakistan? Are guns in TV studios, 24×7 warmongering and chest thumping the best form of journalism we can broadcast? Is TV journalism happy being this screechy handmaiden of hypernationalism?

Did I hear anyone say, the Pakistani artistes should summon the courage to do so? In which case, let us talk about one of our own, Nawazuddin Siddiqui. The actor was prevented by Shiv Sena members in his hometown of Budhana in Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh, from playing a part in the Ramlila, because he is a Muslim. The organisers were warned that there would be trouble, if he did. The Ramlila team buckled under the threat.

‘We, the People of India, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic, republic and to secure all its citizens …’

What is ironic is that just a couple of days back, even Nawaz had spoken the same language as the Right-wingers, the same group that is targeting him now. He was quoted in The Times of India as saying in Meerut on October 4 that, “Right now the situation between India and Pakistan is very sensitive and they (Pakistan actors) should leave India.”

Without a doubt, the situation at the LoC is grim. But what about the divisive cancer within. The parallel thanedaar who rules that an actor’s religion will decide his role in the theatre of modern India. Bolo Siyavar Ramchandra Ki Jai!

Ram Rajya, anyone?

It is also clear that Nawazuddin was picked upon because the Shiv Sena wanted to send across a message. Because there are lesser-known Muslim actors who do play roles in Ramlila in different cities, including Delhi. But when the BBC reports ‘Muslim Bollywood star out of Hindu play’, do we realise the image of an intolerant India that goes out. How different do we look from Pakistan then?

But Nawazuddin being pushed out because he is a Muslim does not seem to bother any of his colleagues in Bollywood. Targeting the Pak actors for them, is like plucking the lowest hanging fruit and win brownie points with the mafia that rules Mumbai. It is playing to the gallery of a hyperventilating media that revels in the Bushism of Us versus Them and will bay for your blood if you don’t fall in line. Standing by Nawazuddin’s side will mean inviting trouble. Why risk your Dussehra and Diwali release?

The MNS and Shiv Sena have won this round. Unfortunately, the media by whipping up a frenzy has been an accomplice. But now that the purpose of ousting the Pakistani actors has been achieved, will the mainstream media, for the sake of its own credibility, get rid of its lynch mob mindset? Or will it simply hunt for its next BARC-friendly kill.

Let us certainly bat for India but also ask tough questions to people with an agenda. Labelling anyone whose decibel level does not hit the shrill notes, as a betrayer, to my mind, is not called journalism.

Jai Hind. But not an India on loudspeaker please.