Despite past successes like The Kashmir Files, prospects for hyper-nationalist films appear bleak. With recent flops and changing audience tastes, filmmakers face a challenge: can they innovate to reignite interest, or has the genre peaked?
Lata Jha
Published4 Jul 2024, 03:16 PM IST
The change in audience sentiment does not augur well for upcoming releases like The Sabarmati Report or Kangana Ranaut’s Emergency. (Image: X)
When The Kashmir Files achieved box office success in 2022, it seemed like hyper-nationalist, propaganda films had discovered a winning formula. The subsequent success of The Kerala Story further cemented this belief. But that was then. Now, the genre's star appears to be fading, reflected in the lacklustre performance of recent releases such as Jahangir National University, which has earned only ₹48 lakh since its release last month.
Trade experts attribute this to a change in audience sentiment following the latest election results, steering conversations towards more balanced viewpoints.
For upcoming films like The Sabarmati Report and Kangana Ranaut’s Emergency, the outlook appears grim.
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“Theatres have increasingly seen diminishing returns for films belonging to this genre. The point is you can’t drum the same beat constantly. You may be able to pull it off once but it is difficult to replicate that success," said Rahul Puri, managing director, Mukta Arts and Mukta A2 Cinemas. “Many films have piled to on that narrative and as the polls have showed, the sentiment is not that strong anymore so there could be a natural move away from it.”