The Bollywood film 83 promotes India's nationalist agenda by combining a love of sports and Hindu male pride.

The Bollywood film 83 promotes India's nationalist agenda by combining a love of sports and Hindu male pride.

The Bollywood Film 83

The film seems like it's striving to gain permission for Prime Minister Modi, and it's about more than India's success at the 1983 Cricket World Cup.

The victory of the charismatic macho Hinduized hero who fulfills his duty saves the nation and restores India's lost pride is a common theme in contemporary Bollywood films.

This isn't a brand-new trend. The technique for propagating nationalist sentiments through the glorifying of historical heroes or events can be traced back to Marathi theatre's early years.

In the nineteenth century, Marathi theatre retold stories from the vast Maratha Empire, which ruled much of the Indian subcontinent from 1645 to 1818 and encompassed much of the Indian subcontinent.

With the Subcontinent under British administration, popular plays bolstered the demands for swaraj, or self-government, made by "extreme" political leader Bal Gangadhar Tilak (1856-1920). The writers drew inspiration from the ever-present Maratha history, which aided the cause of emerging Hindu nationalism. Today, Bollywood is exhibiting a renewed commitment to forging new national mythologies, as seen by the release of 83, a sports biopic based on India's first World Cup victory in 1983.

The Bollywood sports biopic 83 is more than just a recounting of India's 1983 Cricket World Cup victory. It is a product of Hindu nationalism today, and it is more aligned with it.

Under new captain Kapil Dev, we follow the squad in the months building up to their defeat over the West Indies at Lord's Cricket Ground in London (Ranveer Singh). In a film about restoring honour and male pride for the country, a squad of seemingly unglorious young Indian men become victors on the cricket pitch.

It's a picture that's about a lot more than the 1983 World Cup. 83 is a propaganda weapon that draws on India's rich sporting culture to further the nationalist cause.

Sports, the final frontier of masculinity

The portrayal of gender in 83 exemplifies this appreciation of the nationalist cause.

Team captain Kapil Dev, a prominent sports figure in the 1980s, is at the centre of the film. His sincerity and gentlemanly demeanour elicit admiration from individuals of all ages, and the film depicts his masculinity as a stabilising factor for a society in turmoil. However, a conviction in the Hindu nationalist image of hegemonic masculinity is also present in this masculine ideal: a belief in the "normalcy" of men's subjection of women and other minorities.

With manly humour, the film 83 glorifies the boys' club. Each participant is focused on demonstrating their masculinity as an ideal son who wants to please his father; a responsible husband who wants to please his wife.

With manly humour, the film 83 glorifies the boys' club. Each player is focused on demonstrating their male position as an ideal son who wants to make his father proud; a responsible husband who defends and provides for his wife; and, most significantly, a deserving son of the motherland whom the entire nation adores.

To emphasise their aggressive mentality, the players are sometimes dubbed to as "freedom warriors," and Kapil Dev's renowned bat is referred to as his "sword": politically sensitive rhetoric that echoes calls from certain Hindu leaders for Muslim genocide.

The female ideal is also depicted according to the nationalist view: Indian women should be dignified, docile and a possessor of superior spirituality. Kapil Dev’s wife, Romi (Deepika Padukone), is a morale booster. She is a virtuous cheerleader who remains subordinate. Her responsibility is to remind the dispirited Kapil of the importance of his duty as she asks him to “play for that little boy inside you.”

Throughout the film, the cliche of the tiny kid who embodies and helps channel the aspirations and dreams of a young nation is utilized. This young man brings a sense of innocence and purity to the cause of victory. The audience is asked to empathize with his dreams and disappointments — and, in the end, to root for the Indian heroes to triumph. 83 portrays opposing teams and other nations as caricatures, as is typical of nationalist speech. Supporters of the West Indies are frequently seen wearing vibrant designs and dancing to African drums, while the Indian fans put aside their differences to cheer the team. The cricketers of the West Indies are chewing gum; the Indians are making long-distance calls to their families on a regular basis.

The nationalist vision depicts the female ideal as well: Indian women should be dignified, obedient, and exhibit superior spirituality. Romi (Deepika Padukone), Kapil Dev's wife, is a cheerleader. She is a pious cheerleader who maintains her position of subordination. She has the task of reminding the disgruntled Kapil of the value of his role by asking him to "play for that young child inside you."

Throughout the film, the cliche of the tiny kid who embodies and helps channel the aspirations and dreams of a young nation is utilised. This young man brings a sense of innocence and purity to the cause of victory. The audience is asked to empathise with his dreams and disappointments — and, in the end, to root for the Indian heroes to triumph. 83 portrays opposing teams and other nations as caricatures, as is typical of nationalist speech. Supporters of the West Indies are frequently seen wearing vibrant designs and dancing to African drums, while the Indian fans put aside their differences to cheer the team. The cricketers of the West Indies are chewing gum; the Indians are making long-distance calls to their families on a regular basis.

This characterization corresponds more to today's Hindu nationalism than to the country's dynamism in the 1980s.

Nationalism as a brand

Bollywood has proven to be India's most successful soft power in sustaining diplomatic connections throughout the world, providing a prism through which to appreciate Indian culture. However, in India, Bollywood is frequently used to promote the far-right nationalist government's ideological agenda. Biopics and historical films emphasise personality cults and highlight patriotic achievements.

Given the rise of sectarian violence in India and the appeal of portraying Bollywood stars as mercenaries, one would wonder what 83 is saying to and about the audience. The film is more than just a recounting of a sports team's journey. It's a result of both the rise of brand nationalism and Bollywood's ability to tap into the political mood.

With its exaltation of Hindu masculine strength, 83 appears to be a film attempting to gain support for populist and controversial Prime Minister Narendra Modi — and to make the audience more susceptible to political manipulation and control.

The author is a Gender Studies and Sociology sessional professor and tutor at the University of Otago in New Zealand. Reprinted with permission from The Conversation.