Today, the Bollywood film industry is the largest producer of films in sheer numbers. However, it has been well understood that Bollywood has been biased against Hindus for several decades. It has consistently portrayed Hindus and Hinduism in a negative light. In the IndiaFacts article linked below, many examples have been provided of the systemic bias.
In the name of broad-mindedness Hindus have been made to believe that it is okay to make fun of their gods https://t.co/1pPgboFZGN #Bollywood #cinema #Hinduphobia
— IndiaFacts (@IndiaFactsOrg) June 2, 2018
To understand the reasons behind this vicious agenda of hatred, the best bet seems to be to trace who funds the Bollywood industry. It has been long suspected that the financing behind many Bollywood blockbusters comes from notorious antisocial elements and criminals such as the Islamic terrorist, Dawood Ibrahim. Therefore, it is no real surprise that Bollywood has steadily put forth a stream of Hinduphobic films.
Links between politics and Bollywood with Dawood resurface #NewsToday pic.twitter.com/qv3dumnhMM
— India Today (@IndiaToday) September 9, 2016
Where Hindus failed
Hindus have failed miserably in utilizing their own massive cultural heritage and portraying it using modern media. Though one finds the occasional classic like Chanakya on television, such series are exceedingly rare. The sad irony is that Hindus are the inheritors of perhaps the richest culture in the world in terms of history, popular stories, epic poetry, and literature. All these sources should ideally have provided Hindus the greatest source for an almost limitless series of films and television series.
As far as the potential financial viability of such films goes, the recent example of Baahubali is enough to prove the point. Based on a fictional story which draws heavily from Hindu legends, Baahubali became an international hit. This shows how a well-produced and executed film, sourced from Hindu lore, can indeed succeed wildly on the silver screen.
WOW!! The gold movie of the era #Bahubali is still ruling the film world!! 'Baahubali 2' songs will be distributed on Karaoke in Japan from 1st June. Jiyo Re Baahubali !!@BaahubaliMovie @LahariMusic @ssrajamouli @RanaDaggubati @Shobu_ @arkamediaworks #RadioCityHyderabad pic.twitter.com/mRKZdj7In6
— Radio City (@radiocityindia) May 24, 2018
Dharmic source material for films and television series
For more than a thousand years, the Mahabharata, the Ramayana, and other Hindu epics have inspired many sculptures, stories and dramas in many countries of Asia such as Indonesia and Thailand.
Ramakien (Rāma+Ākhyana), meaning 'Glory of Rama' is derived from the Indian Ramayana&is the national epic of Thailand pic.twitter.com/8TleMbGBgO
— Indian Diplomacy (@IndianDiplomacy) February 28, 2015
https://twitter.com/SajithSasidhar2/status/146082797646381057
Hindus can thus draw from almost countless sources to produce an unlimited universe of novels, films and television series. Towering historical personalities such as Chandragupta Maurya, Chanakya, Maharana Pratap, Shivaji, Vidyaranya, Raja Bhoja, Ravidas, Mirabai and other luminaries can provide ample source material. Events such as the Battles of Hydaspes, Haldighat, Simhagad can be conceived as great action movies.
Many of the classic Sanskrit plays such as those by Mahakavi Kalidasa, Bhasa and others can be remade into modern dharmic classics. Many stories from the Vedas, Puranas, Mahabharata, and Ramayana can be reinterpreted in a modern way to produce entertainment series. Hindu martial arts films can incorporate traditional combat sports such as Kalaripayattu and Mallayuddha.
Film personalities such as G.V. Iyer proved to be one of the rare filmmakers who produced dharmic movies such as Adi Shankaracharya, said to be the first Sanskrit film. There should be nothing preventing today’s Hindus from following the example set by G. V. Iyer and forming a new film industry that produces modern entertainment that is rooted in universal values of dharma.
