Bollywood critics may have to think again

One of the interesting, and quite harmless, disclosures from the Wikileaks is a passing thought in the US state department that perhaps Hindi films, and their creator Bollywood, should be utilised to convey anti-terror messages to south Asian Muslims in Britain.

In 2007, US assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, Farah Pandith, had met with some of Britain’s Asian film professionals to discuss the matter. But it seems that it did not go beyond the ideating level. It is hard to resist the conclusion that popular cinema, which is treated with much contempt by connoisseurs, is treated with greater respect by politicians, policymakers and governments.

The Americans had enlisted well-known directors like John Ford to make war documentaries for the government.

In India, Hindi films have carried the patriotic flavour whenever the country was at war. It is a left-handed compliment from the Americans about the reach and power of Hindi cinema, and it should hopefully make critics revise their dismissive view of popular cinema.