I’ll answer this question in 3 parts.
Perspectives
Confirmation bias
Statistics
Part 1: Perspectives
I believe that a lot of our reality is based on perspectives. All of us see things in a different way. Every answer to this question has shared a perspective. So let me do the same. I could have picked any of the thousands of Bollywood films, but I will pick the ones mentioned in this thread.
Let’s see how perspectives matter a lot.
Bajrangi Bhaijaan -
One perspective - In this answer, the writer claims that Lord Hanuman was insulted in the film when a character asks whether Hanuman’s power is applicable in Pakistan as well. Further, the answer claims that the movie is promoting chicken, which for some reason is equated with Islam.
My perspective - Well, the same film also portrayed, in a crucial climax scene, a Muslim girl screaming ‘Jai Shri Ram!’; the same film also portrayed the lead hero as a Hindu who believes that Lord Hanuman will save him, and turns out that this really happens. As for chicken and Islam, consider this: Muslims constitute 20% of India’s population; but around 70% Indians are non-vegetarians.[1] Which religion do you think the rest belong to?
The movie PK -
One perspective - Many answers (such as this, this or this) talk about the same scene where a character dressed as Lord Shiva ready to act in a play was shown running around in the bathroom. People overreacted on this to mean that Lord Shiva was shown as weak. So many people have claimed this! I can’t believe it.
My perspective - The same movie, PK, also showed a scene where he made fun of all the religious groups by exposing the stereotype of how people are dressed up (where a Muslim was dressed as a Sikh, for example). Is that an offence to other religions then? There’s another scene where PK offers condolences for burkha clad women, thinking that they lost their husbands. Is that a slight against Islam?
Jodha Akbar -
One perspective - People believe that showing a Muslim as a great leader promotes Islam. Various answers (like this or this) claim that Akbar was not great and Bollywood only wanted to put Islam in a better light. They also allude to the song Khwaja as something praising Islam.
My perspective - The same film showed a Hindu princess, Jodhaa, standing firm in asking her demands to protect her Hindu faith. The movie’s plot depicts that without Jodhaa, and her positive influence in Akbar’s life, the emperor and his kingdom was doomed. In fact, the same film also gives us the great song Manmohana, where Jodha prays to Krishna and therein initiates their love.
The glorification of villains
One perspective - Several answers talked about how a Muslim villain is glorified in Bollywood films (answers to this question mention Raees, Haseena, D Company etc.) and say that this is why Bollywood is glorifying Islam.
My perspective - There are various other crime movies (or anti-hero) movies where the criminal is not a Muslim. In fact, some of these movies are based on real life criminals. For example, search for the inspiration behind the movies Special 26, Talwar, Badlapur, Raman Raghav, Sarkar, Sarkar Raj etc. where the glorified criminals are not Muslims. How about that, huh?
Glorification of criminals has always been a pretty theme not just in Bollywood but in all film industries around the world. This is nothing new, and we only see what we want to see - a case for Islamizing of India.
The usage of Urdu Words - what is the reality?
One perspective - Various answers (primarily this highly upvoted answer) claim that Bollywood songs have a lot of Urdu words and this is a sign of Islamizing India. A lot of people upvoted this, seemingly agreeing with the idea.
My perspective - Do you even realise how much Urdu you speak every day? No? Let me just give you an idea of the Urdu words you speak every day, along with the proper Hindi words in brackets. Ready? Here you go:
We all use dil (hriday), dost (mitra), khana (bhojan), kanoon (niyam), aurat (naari), aadmi (nar), haalat (stithi), kismat (bhagya), khabar (samachar), bahadur (nidar), yaar (mitra), zahar (vish), khwab (swapna), sirf (keval), darwaza (dwaar), khoon (rakht) and so many other Urdu words in our daily conversations.
Not all these words are a result of Bollywood’s influence. The fact is that Hindi and Urdu have alwaysbeen like this, since before indepenence. Hence, the argument that usage of Urdu words is a sign of islamizing India is not true. Because if it were, you are also Islamizing India by using the words I mentioned above.
Religions of people who marry each other
One perspective - A writer has claimed in this answer that a lot of Muslim men in Bollywood are marrying Hindu women (Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan etc.) and claim that this is a sign of Ismazing India. More than 600 knowledgeable people upvoted it.
My perspective - This answer is bigotism at it’s core. First, it treats Hindu women as ‘property’ who are shifted from Hinduism to Islam. No, seriously, think about this - I could make the same claim and say that Hindu women are marrying Muslim men, and therefore this is a sign of conversion of Muslims to Hindus.Ever thought about women as not being a transferable property, anyone?
Like I said, this is a matter of perspective.
We see what we want to see. And sadly, a lot of people want to prove that Bollywood is Islamizing India, and thus use such ill thought-out answers.
This is why we need to talk about something bigger.
Part 2: Confirmation Bias
The overwhelming theme is this: we would notice a Muslim as specifically being a Muslim. But a lot of Hindu things will not register in our minds. This is because of a psychological truth known as confirmation bias.
Confirmation bias works like this:
You believe that Bollywood is Islamizing India.
Now, if there is anything that even remotely connects to Islam or Muslims, it registers in your brain, and you exclaim, “See! I told you these people are highlighting Islam a lot!”
Many other things, that are not connected to Islam, are just ignored by you, because you pay no attention to it.
To understand this better, read this wonderful example -
You have a disagreement with your friend in a cafe. You’re convinced that Stevie Wonder is the best musician of the 20th century. Your friend disagrees, arguing that Bob Dylan is in fact the best musician of the 20th century. In an effort to prove your point, you Google ‘Stevie Wonder best musician of all time’. You click on the third result (ignoring the first two – you don’t like the look of what those two say) and proudly present an article to your friend that supports your viewpoint. Feeling vindicated, you relax back into your chair, smile, and try not to look too smug.
This is what happens, ladies and gentlemen.
You search for Muslim references in Bollywood, and you will find tons of movies where the lead characters are Muslims, and you write it on this Quora thread, and exclaim, “See! So many Muslim characters! Bollywood is clearly Islamizing India! I told you!”
What you didn’t tell others is that you specifically searched for it.
In the first part, where I talk about perspectives, I clearly mention that people see what they want to see. And that is why, any scene depicted in a movie which even remotely praises Islam or even remotely projects anything against Hinduism catches your eye, because that is what you want to see.
I know what you are probably thinking.
You are thinking that I have gone mad. And that there is an overwhelming amount of Bollywood films that talk about Muslim heroes and Muslim rituals and that praise Islam. I know this is what you are thinking.
And no matter what I say, you will find it hard to believe otherwise. Because confirmation bias is indeed very strong. But there is something that can give you another perspective to consider.
The only way to avoid confirmation bias (that is, propensity to look for something specific) is to look at everything. And then make a call about the overall trends. Makes sense? Cool.
So, how do you look at everything?
Part 3: Statistics
How you look at everything is by rejecting specific examples and specific movies. Because when you pick specific movies, you set the agenda even before you finish the answer.
Here is how people react when you mention specific movies:
You mention 5, 10 (or at best 15) movies which you think are examples of how Bollywood is Islamizing India.
The readers look at your answer, and their brain thinks “Oh my God! Allthese movies are favouring Islam! Clearly something is off!”
Our brain then starts projecting what the overall situation might be like. Then, we start to believe that Bollywood as a whole is Islamizing India. And your point is proved.
Remember that every answer to this question talks about specific instances (at best 4 or 5 movies, or specific scenes from those movies) to prove their point that Bollywood is Islamizing India.
But, do you know how many movies are actually made?
Tada… turns out that Bollywood makes more than 1000 films every year.[2]1602 films were released in 2012, and 1986 in 2017[3] So, are you saying that you have analysed all these films to identify a trend?
How exactly can anyone claim, based on a handful examples, that Bollywood is Islamizing India? This is ridiculous, and beyond my understanding. But wait for the real twist.
It turns out that some analysis has already been done.
Submission 1: Analysis of Bollywood Characters
Consider this report which talks about the results of an analysis of Bollywood films, as depicted in the chart.
The most common character in Hindi films is also a Hindu, according to the Hindu report. Only very few roles are written keeping in mind a Christian, Muslim or Sikh.
This data is based on the survey carried out by The Hindu, which points out some other interesting details. Read this:
In Bollywood movies released in 2013, four leading men were Christian, one Jain, three Sikh and 5 Muslim. Of the rest, 65 were upper caste Hindus, while the remaining were Hindus of unstated caste without caste reference. The numbers were the same for men and women.
This is the closest I got to the analysis of Bollywood, religion-wise.
How can you still say that Bollywood is Islamizing India?
Oh, but I know you are probably thinking: not all movies are equally important, right? Some movies are more popular than others, and those movies influence the people more than others? What if those films are Muslim oriented? Someone should check that too!
Don’t worry. I checked it.
Submission 2: Most famous films
I personally found the list of top 10 movies in Bollywood for the past 4 years, and analysed the story lines and the characters personally.
Here is the list, and analysis.
Highest grossing films in 2014:
PK - A film that talks about all religions and points out the faults with Islam and Hinduism, among other religions.
Kick - The lead character is a Hindu, and is shown to be super cool, and is in love with another Hindu girl. All gets well in the end.
Happy New Year - Again, a predominantly Hindu cast (portrayed by a Muslim actor, ha), doing random stuff.
Bang Bang - The lead cast is a Hindu, and some Muslims are depicted as antagonists.
Singham Returns - A Hindu policeman is shown to be honest, and is fighting against terrorism
Jai Ho! - A Hindu army officer is shown fighting against terrorists, for love of the motherland.
Holiday - A Hindu army officer is shown fighting against terrorists, for love of the motherland.
2 states - a love story between two people, both Hindus or associated with Hinduism (but of different castes)
Ek villain - a drama portraying a Hindu couple, and a Hindu villain attempting to destroy the couple’s life.
Gunday - the film portrays lead cast, and the story, both revolving around Bengali Hindus.
Highest grossing gilms in 2015 -
Bajrangi Bhaijaan - A Hindu lead actor tries to save a Muslim from Pakistan, and in the process sending a message of peace between the two countries.
Prem Ratan Dhan Payo - A family drama primarily depicting a Hindu family doing their stuff.
Dilwale - a complicated love story between a Hindu couple and their younger Hindu siblings.
Bajirao Mastani - a story revolving around the love story of a famous Hindu King Peshwa Bajirao.
Tanu weds Manu returns - a love triangle story, where all the people involved are Hindu, and they are doing their random stuff.
Welcome back - a comedy movie, depicting the life of gangstar criminals, all predominantly Hindu.
ABCD 2 - Film revolving around a dancer, a Hindu, who tries to achieve some life goals, and succeeds.
Dil Dhadakne Do - a family drama in a upper class Hindu family where they try to challenge societal norms, and in the end the family is shown as quite mature.
Piku - a light hearted film featuring a Hindu girl who is daring and open minded, managing to live with an aged Hindu father suffering from constipation.
Tamasha - love story of a Hindu couple.
Highest grossing films in 2016:
Dangal: based on a real life story of a famous Hindu wrestler, Gita Kumari Phogat. The film invokes patriotism.
Sultan: A story of a fictional Muslim wrestler, Sultan. The film invokes patriotism.
Ae Dil Hai Mushkil - a love story depicting complicated relations between different people, mostly Muslim people.
Rustom: the story based on a real life incident by a Parsi navy officer and his love interest, and how he saves the nation.
MS Dhoni: based on a real life story of a Hindu cricketer.
Airlift: a film showing the valour of a Hindu based out of Kuwait in saving Indians in times of crises.
Housefull 3: a nonsense comedy film majorly depicting Hindu characters doing their random stuff.
Fan: a film showing a famous Hindu actor being harassed by his fanatic fan, also a Hindu.
Kapoor and Sons: a family drama of a Hindu family, reflecting on life’s complications and how, in the end, the family should stick together and accept each other no matter what.
Shivaay: an action film showing a Hindu character, even the name of the film is based on a famous Hindu deity.
Highest grossing films in 2017:
Secret Superstar - the story of a Muslim girl who wants to be a famous singer and her struggles.
Tiger Zinda Hai - story of a Hindu Indian spy and his Pakistani Muslim love interest together fighting against terrorism, both not betraying their own countries.
Golmaal Again - a comedy film featuring Hindu characters doing their random stuff.
Raees - the story of a Muslim gangster, focusing on the anti-hero ideas and depicting his life.
Judwaa 2: remake of a old film that showed Hindu twins.
Toilet - Ek Prem Katha: a film showing the love story of a Hindu who falls in love with another Hindu and tries to build a toilet for her, in the process challenging age old rigid mentalities in the society.
Tubelight: Based around the 1962 Indo-China war, showing a Hindu doing his random stuff.
Kaabil: showing two blind Hindu people falling in love and trying to live life against unsurmountable challenges.
Badrinath ki Dulhania: a Hindu hero falls in love with a Hindu girl and tries to convince his father to let him marry her.
Jolly LLB 2: A Hindu advocate fighting for a Muslim victim who was killed by a Hindu policeman. The Hindu advocate wins the case for the Muslim victim.
So, yeah, now that you went through that list of the last four years, I think the answer to this question is evident.
I will repeat for the sake of clarity.
Bollywood is not Islamizing India. Bollywood stories still revolve around Hindus, which is okay since India has a majority Hindu population.
A handful of Bollywood movies that glorify or talk about Islam, are selected by people on Quora who are trying to prove that Bollywood is Islamizing India, and in doing so they ignore all the other Hindu films, only focusing on the Muslim aspect. This happens due to confirmation bias.
Sometimes, people use nonsense logic (such as Hindu actors marrying Muslim actors) to prove that Bollywood is Islamizing India. This is clearly a matter of perception, and I have offered another perspective for you to consider.
Thank you!
PS: comments mentioning specific movies and specific scenes will not be entertained. If you are tempted to write a comment with a specific movie (oh, in that movie they glorified Muslims!), please first read this.
Footnotes
[1] Vegetarian India A Myth? Survey Shows Over 70% Indians Eat Non-Veg, Telangana Tops List
[2] Bollywood: India's Film Industry By The Numbers [Infographic]
Written by,
Palkesh Asawa.
https://www.quora.com/profile/Palkesh-Asawa?ch=10&share=4e7cdbd9&srid=CId2
Link to original content:
https://www.quora.com/Is-Bollywood-slowly-islamizing-India/answer/Palkesh-Asawa?ch=10&share=95ebc8d5&srid=CId2
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