Baahubali, Soft Power, and Why the Time is Ripe

Two years ago, the first of the Baahubali movies hit our theatres. The classic story of fraternal rivalry in a royal household was spun into a scintillating drama complete with jaw-dropping sets, stunning landscapes (who can ever forget the waterfall?), flashy costumes, catchy music and the most asked question of the year – why did Katappa kill Baahubali? The originally Telugu movie had the whole country in an uproar. Baahubali 2 swept the theatres again this year, greater and grander, and as the story unfolded and reached its predictable end, it once again had its audiences taste the magic of the golden screen in newly kindled wonder.

Baahubali 2 hit screens in literally every nook and corner of the country - I kid not; the movie’s poster was one of the first things I saw when I crossed over from Bangladesh into India at the village of Chengrabandha in West Bengal - and spread across the world. The movie boasts of a global collection of more than 1600 crores, shattering records after records, and making many more. While film critics and lovers debate over the technicalities and merit of the movie and the overall series, it is worth gauging the position of the Baahubali saga in today’s India, and its mark on India’s position in the emerging global order.

India has always been united in its deep love for films, and the audiences, deeply divided over the content. While Bollywood ended up being the one pan-India film industry regional film industries, despite talent and some truly universal cinema remained just that – regional. Today, a sizeable chunk of Bollywood caters to the urban, multiplex-going public. It is boiled with urban themes, spiced with foreign locations, peppered with Anglicized Hindi and served Western and chilled. And when it isn’t Bollywood, it is Hollywood wooing the growing English-speaking audience. Nothing wrong here: it makes sense for an India that is rapidly advancing in the world and embraces globalisation. However, a large section of the society cannot relate to it and hence, barring a few exceptions and the charisma of the Khans, their appeal and success have been limited.

It is in such a scenario that a non-Bollywood, non-Hindi Baahubali package comes up with its outright Indian flavour. It makes sarees look dominant and dhotis look powerful. It wipes off the dust of God only knows how many Indian musical instruments, and makes us hum melodies so intrinsically Indian that they sound exotic to our globalised ears. Through Baahubali, we go so far to experience a modern, exciting version of the Shiv Tandava Stotra penned by Ravana, the king of Lanka himself, woven beautifully in one of the songs, and which sits easy on our lips. The movie is deliciously peppered this time with Sanskrit, and for us millennials who largely consider Sanskrit a thing of temples and time, it suddenly sounds powerful and classy. Seriously, how many heroes have we seen explain archery to warrior princesses in the old language?

For a country which is transforming politically, culturally and socially, a movie like this can make an interesting impact. The winds of the Leftist philosophy, Nehruvian secularism, and a culturally submissive attitude on the global platform are no longer strong. India and Indians today are increasingly assertive about themselves and their culture in the local as well as global arena. Hindu culture is slowly moving from being continually shoved aside for a ‘secular’ society, to a position based on the fact that it simply has the largest number of threads in the fabric of sub-continental culture and that it is acceptable to have cognizance of and pride in its contributions. Indian youth is more comfortable with its Indian identity and even recognises it as something to hold up and celebrate rather than undermining it on the global stage.

And hence, it is not all that surprising that a superhero such as Baahubali commands so much success. Yes, you read it right – Baahubali is indeed a superhero. An ‘Indian’ superhero, in every sense of the word. A dhoti-clad figure, he is a devotee of Shiva and his mother, he upholds dharma and he protects his subjects while vanquishing the enemy. He has compassion for the poor and is humble, honest and trusting. He is a skilled fighter, agile in his movements, and smart with his strategies – when technology, time and manpower fall short, he uses whatever is available, from tree branches to springy palm trees to roaring bulls with their horns on fire. He is faithful to the woman he loves; he charms and playfully teases her as well as pledges to uphold her honour come what may. And Baahubali never breaks a promise. Isn’t that our very own ‘Maryada Purushottam’ in the making?

The movie is enriched entertainment from all angles, but it says a lot more. It is unabashed in its portrayal of Sanskrit and the various facets of Hinduism. Along with Shiva, Kali, and Krishna are poojas, yagnas and sacred threads on our main characters’ torsos. There is the conspicuous Kshatriya dharma, and in one of the most impressive scenes of Baahubali 2, an entire army described in Sanskrit. Baahubali has an unapologetically strong Hindu/ Sanatana Dharma element. A brief, carefully placed scene depicts the ‘cosmopolitan’ society of Mahishmati, but the movie steers clear of any attempts to appeal to the twisted hypocritical version of secularism making rounds in the country; Baahubali is not desperate to appease. Yet, it manages to touch deeply the very ethos of the subcontinent, and this is where it has a pan-Indian appeal.

With India, the world is transforming too. Across continents, countries are grappling with economic, social, environmental and political issues. The US has steadily lost its position of leadership in economy and military, and after pulling out of the Paris Accord, on moral grounds as well. Europe struggles with migration and Brexit, while China is battling its own economic slowdown. From Australia to the US, there is a definite trend of conservative, protectionist and anti-globalisation sentiments. All this has created a vacuum at the global level. There is a lack of concrete economic, cultural and political leadership. While the Chinese are in a much better position than most, they are largely a hard power, with heavy reliance on economic strength. 

It is very tempting to underrate, even dismiss soft power at this point, because all the major powers are not only flexing their muscles but also delivering blows. However, through cultural influences and connections and exercising soft power in a wise and timely manner, a lot can be achieved in the longer run. Movies like Baahubali and Dangal (which have a distinct Indian flavour) and the Indian film industry are more instrumental in spreading Indian culture across the world than we give them credit for. The same is true with Indian music, dances, fine arts, cuisine and attire. These elements hold great potential and with targeted, systematic efforts, their appeal across boundaries can be wielded as a powerful tool to strengthen Indian influence globally. 

The path to economic and military leadership is long and arduous, and India has a long way to go. However, it does have the opportunity right now to grow its soft power and increase the ambit of its cultural influence through various channels. The key is to not underestimate the impact of soft diplomacy, and rope in creative and innovative ways to acquire an influential position in this changing world. One step at a time.

Picture credits:

1. www.indiatoday.intoday.in
2. www.images.indianexpress.com
3. www.i.ytimg.com
4. www.fitnhit.com