A strange and telling paradox is unfolding in Narendra Modi’s India, a nation increasingly governed by a selective nationalism that picks its enemies and allies based on political convenience rather than consistent principle. It is a land where the roar of a cricket stadium drowns out the quiet prayers of the faithful, and the label of “traitor” is applied not with sober judgment, but as a political weapon.

It’s a story of two stages. On one, under the bright lights of a stadium, a cricket match against Pakistan is performed as a grand act of patriotism, celebrated and consumed by millions. On the other, quieter stage, a Punjabi filmmaker tries to create a piece of art, perhaps with an actor from across the border who perfectly fits the role. But in this play, the ending has been re-written by politics. As Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann pointed out, the filmmaker becomes the villain, a “traitor” hunted down by an online army for the “crime” of collaboration. He simply asked the question everyone should be asking: How can a shared field of sport be a thing of glory, while a shared screen for art is an act of treason?

Imagine the contrast. On one hand, you have the floodlit spectacle of a cricket stadium—a loud, commercialized arena where nationalism is performed for the cameras. It’s a space of high finance and political posturing, where the “risk” of engaging with Pakistan is magically transformed into a thrilling, profitable bonanza. On the other hand, picture a quiet procession of pilgrims: families, elderly grandparents, young people seeking a connection to their roots. Their journey is not for........

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