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Shah Rukh Khan’s invocation of ‘Amar, Akbar, Anthony’ is a hopeful reminder that cinema can go beyond polarised politics

The fact that mainstream blockbusters would promote a secular ethos without calls for boycott, threats of violence or a barrage of ‘hurt sentiments’ — is something worth remembering.

Khan's comparison is also a hopeful one. It seems that in 2023, as in 1977, the box office doesn't always reflect the polarisation outside.Khan's comparison is also a hopeful one. It seems that in 2023, as in 1977, the box office doesn't always reflect the polarisation outside.
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Shah Rukh Khan’s invocation of ‘Amar, Akbar, Anthony’ is a hopeful reminder that cinema can go beyond polarised politics
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By almost any objective metric, the material lives of Indians — regardless of religion, caste, gender — are better in 2023 than in 1977. But if the imagination of a nation is about more than per capita income, or even health and education levels, the story becomes complicated. A nation is also made of its symbolism — which in its worst form can descend to mere tokenism and at its best, is a form of representation. Shah Rukh Khan’s invocation of Amar Akbar Anthony at an event to celebrate the massive commercial success of Pathaan earlier this week, was a throwback to a time when mainstream cinema — and society — were less polarised than they are today.

In response to a question about the controversy around Pathaan and attempted boycotts of the film, Khan said that the cast of the film, like the characters in Manmohan Desai’s 1977 classic, belonged to different religions but were united by a larger purpose — to provide joy to the audience: “This is Deepika, she is Amar, I’m Shah Rukh Khan, I’m Akbar and John he is Anthony…” Khan was gesturing to the sometimes choreographed but mostly unselfconscious inclusivity that has marked Hindi cinema down the years.

Bollywood is, of course, a bubble. The Sachar Committee report (2006) wasn’t really needed to show that the condition of India’s largest religious minority remains relatively poor in social, educational and economic terms — cricket team captains and movie stars notwithstanding. And the Amar Akbar Anthony trope is a cliché. Yet, the fact that mainstream blockbusters would promote a secular ethos — without calls for boycott or a barrage of “hurt sentiments” — is something worth remembering. Khan’s comparison is also a hopeful one. It seems that in 2023, as in 1977, the box office doesn’t always reflect the polarisation outside.

First uploaded on: 01-02-2023 at 06:30 IST
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