Communalism, Secularism and Indian Historical Films (1940-46)

Economic and Political Weekly
April 12, 2008

Communalism, Secularism and Indian Historical Films (1940-46)

by Urvi Mukhopadhyay

This article investigates invocations of the medieval period in the popular historical films made during the height of communalised politics before Partition.

The themes were chosen to reveal a complex process of negotiation between the elite and popular interpretations of the medieval period that affected the political culture in the 1940s. The historical narratives of figures in the film industry, who responded to the contemporary political culture of the time, explain the role of agency of people of the non-elite. The partisan nature of communalist/secularist positions of the time can be understood by a study of these films.

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