This week witnessed the release of two controversial films, Razakar – Silent Genocide of Hyderabad and Bastar – The Naxal Story, both of which faced sharp criticism for their propagandist overtones.
In 2022, The Kashmir Files and The Kerala Story stood as monumental successes, achieving blockbuster status despite their low budgets.
Their combined earnings surpassing 300 crores at the box office ignited a wave of cinema wherein particular agendas aligned with the vilification of minority communities to appease the majority audience.
However, this trend appears to be dying a sudden and silent death on its own.
Films like 72 Hoor, Hindutva, Ajmer 92, and The Vaccine War, released last year, failed to capture audience interest and fell flat at the box office.
This year’s releases, including Bastar (crafted by the creators of The Kerala Story) and Razakar, have also encountered significant setbacks.
Bastar’s meager opening of 30 lakhs and projected weekend collections of less than 1 crore net indicate a disappointing performance, with its lifetime earnings expected to fall short of 3 crores.
Similarly, Razakar’s lackluster reception in the Telugu states, with several trade websites opting not to report its embarrassingly low numbers, paints a grim picture for the genre.
Could this signify the demise of propaganda films? It seems highly probable. With upcoming releases like Savarkar, JNU, Godhra, and others facing an uncertain future, the future for such films appear increasingly bleak.
