Bollywood’s others: Hindi cinema, Hindutva, and the othering of the Muslim subject

This thesis examines four Hindi-language films – Naseem (Saeed Akhtar Mirza, 1995); Zakhm (Mahesh Bhatt, 1998); Sarfarosh (Fervent, John Matthew Mathan, 1999); and Kurbaan (Sacrificed, Rensil D’Silva, 2009) – to discern the extent to which the representation of the Muslim figure in Bollywood can be understood in relation to the rise of Hindutva ideology (far-right, extreme Hindu nationalism). My exploration of Naseem and Zakhm details how these two films, which narrativize the disintegration of Hindu-Muslim relations amidst the backdrop of the Babri Masjid’s demolition, depict the potential consequences of an emergent Hindu nationalism. My examination of Sarfarosh and Kurbaan discusses Bollywood’s construction of the Muslim terroristic “Other”. Overall, this thesis explores the nexus between Hindutva politics and Bollywood, focusing on how this influences the representation of the Muslim figure in popular Hindi cinema.