For decades, those part of the creative space in Bollywood, including filmmakers and actors espousing nationalist and dharmic sentiments, have been viewed as occupying the fringes of the industry.

In the past, many were looked at with disdain and disgust by the “secular-liberal" cabal within the industry and outside it. In the decades following Independence and during much of the so-called “Nehruvian Era", the “fringe" and the “mainstream" in the field of creative arts were primarily determined by whether or not one accepted the “secular-socialist" narrative and pushed it further through their writings, films, or any other medium of art as part of a well-thought-out strategy to communicate the ideological imperative to the wider audience.

From the 1970s onwards, a new and rather disturbing trend emerged—the dominance of the underworld in Bollywood. Creativity and talent were no longer considered guarantees of success, and blockbusters, hits, and flops were determined by whether or not one was in the good books of those calling the shots. Several filmmakers and actors made their fortunes by currying favour with the underworld and their conduits—the shadowy financiers who pumped enormous funds into Bollywood.

The “secular" narrative continued to dominate storytelling in Bollywood. In fact, many films pushed the agenda further—they showed Hindus in a bad light, while portraying Muslims, even Pakistanis, as just, humane, and in some cases, victims of Hindu tyranny. Films such as Garam Hawa (1974), Amar Akbar Anthony (1977), Roja (1992), Bombay (1995), and Zakhm (1998), among others, are classic examples of agenda-driven cinema that attempted to promote a predominantly “secular", one-sided narrative.

In 1998, I&B Minister Sushma Swaraj officially granted “industry" status to the Hindi film industry. This landmark decision of the BJP-led NDA government not only fulfilled the decades-long demand of those eager to wrest the creative space from the hands of the underworld, but also allowed producers access to bank financing and formal, institutional support, thereby reducing reliance on underworld funding and dependence on black money.

In 2001, the Reserve Bank of India issued guidelines for financing film production, opening the floodgates for........

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