Recently, a video clip of comedian Vir Das’ monologue ‘I Come From Two Indias’ at the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC pointing at the contradictions and hypocrisies of Indian politics and society went viral. It received backlash from many for allegedly showing the country in poor light. The idea of these two contrasting Indias has always existed in art and one of India’s most widely consumed media — the Hindi film music — is a compelling evidence of it. That begs the question as to why the outrage is necessary.
Hindi film music, for the longest time, has shaped notions of patriotism and national pride among Indians. Kids performing in schools, community gatherings or programmes in government offices — one can hardly think of important national days being celebrated without a suitable playlist of patriotic Bollywood songs for company. The greatness of India eulogised in these songs with phrases like ‘Sone ki chidiya, ‘ ‘Dulhan ki…