During the student protests of 2026, jokes proliferated online that a ticket to the Dhurandhar movie was better proof of loyalty to the regime than an Aadhar Card. Humour, as ever, is rooted in some truth. Dhurandhar’s articulation of the militarised, hypermasculine and Hinduised vision of “New India” gives it immense propagandist potential, yet it is closer to the norm. Each year, a large number of the films Bollywood produces (and awards) mirror narratives that serve a righ
