Have you watched the 2009 film Invictus, directed by Clint Eastwood? What about Long Walk To Freedom, starring Idris Elba, or Goodbye Bafana? As you may have guessed, the common thread in these blockbusters is South Africa’s anti-apartheid legend, Nelson Mandela. Over a dozen films in English, primarily from Hollywood, have been dedicated to Mandela, with several more in the local languages of the African continent. Whether through documentaries, feature films, or radio plays, Mandela remains a towering presence in popular culture. The actors who have portrayed Mandela on screen include some of the best in the industry: Sidney Poitier, Morgan Freeman, Idris Elba, Danny Glover, Terrence Howard, Dennis Haysbert, and Clarke Peters.
As we write this, I realise that Denzel never played Mandela, either on screen or on stage. It would have been super cool if he had. However, Denzel did bring another Black hero to life—Malcolm X. Interestingly, including Denzel’s portrayal, there are at least 10 popular movies about Malcolm X from Hollywood, along with various other works, including web originals, highlighting his immense contribution to the civil rights movement in the US. When it comes to Martin Luther King Jr, the number of films is even higher, with nearly two dozen productions and several documentaries exploring his impact both on the world during his time and on future generations.
India’s national heroes have seen substantial representation in popular culture, particularly in movies and series. More than a dozen films, including Richard Attenborough’s 1982 epic Gandhi, delve into Mahatma Gandhi’s life and contributions. Even the Bollywood blockbuster Lage Raho Munna Bhai cleverly promotes Gandhiji’s teachings. Notably, Gandhi’s life and politics have been dissected and debated in various media and from various positions on the political spectrum.
Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first Prime Minister, is another figure who has found a place in numerous political and non-political films, documentaries, and web originals, including the 1984 documentary Nehru directed by Shyam Benegal. Similarly, nationalist leaders like Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and controversial figures such as Nathuram Vinayak Godse and Vinayak Damodar Savarkar have been a subject of many movies, series, and plays. Savarkar, described by writer Jeyamohan as the “fountainhead of fundamentalism in India”, is a prominent character in Priyadarshan’s 1996 Malayalam blockbuster Kaalapani, featuring Mohanlal, with Annu Kapoor playing the role of Savarkar.
But what about Babasaheb Ambedkar, the architect of India’s Constitution, the Dalit icon who defined and continues to define a significant segment of the Indian polity? Despite being one of the founding figures of the nation, Ambedkar has been systematically neglected by Indian cinema over the years, as noted by Harish S. Wankhede, who teaches at JNU’s School of Social Sciences. The reason for Ambedkar’s omission is easy to guess. He represented Dalits and fought against the system of caste his entire life while the people who commanded filmmaking in India were almost all from the dominant castes.
Wankhede’s article, “Ambedkar, on a device near you”, provides a well-researched exploration of the substantial gap in Indian cinema and pop culture about Ambedkar and his contributions. However, what is heartening is that recent efforts by a group of courageous filmmakers are beginning to make up for this neglect by actively promoting Ambedkarite ideals and thought in popular culture. The article looks at who these filmmakers are, how their films are impacting cinema for Dalits, and, crucially, whether these films from across the country are fostering a new sensibility among moviegoers, which could lead to the evolution of a lucrative and sustainable market. You can read the article for free and, as always, share your thoughts with us.
This new year, make it a resolution to watch at least one of the films from Wankhede’s list.
For Team Frontline,
Jinoy Jose P.
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