Stories have been part of our consciousness for time immemorial, so much so that our ancients codified the principles of dharma into our myths. This is so effective that whilst the details may have been lost, the essence of it still survives. Small wonder then that in the modern world too, modern democracies are engaged in narrative building as a tool of statecraft. Perception still trumps truth unfortunately, and what we see play out in mainstream media, and more so social media, shapes our opinions about everything from tourism to politics. This is especially relevant in an era of value-based buying and supporting brands that align with your values.
The Hindi film industry is unarguably one of India’s powerhouses of soft power, and whilst we are predominantly served up a concoction of escapist entertainment with an ensemble cast of star kids, every once in a while there comes a movie that shakes up the collective consciousness and forces us to sit up and smell the coffee. We have been fortunate to witness a recent flurry of conscious filmmaking, whether it was Kantaara or, more recently, Dhurandar, which has captured the nation’s imagination. What makes Kantara and Dhurandar so compelling is not merely their cinematic craft but the quiet confidence with which they reclaim India’s civilisational voice.
These films do not plead for validation through borrowed aesthetics or diluted ideas; instead, they root themselves unapologetically in lived tradition, land, memory, and the nuance of reality. Kantara draws from ritual, ecology, and the sacred contract between humans and nature, reminding us that dharma was never an abstract theory but a felt, embodied truth. Dhurandar, in its own way, foregrounds courage, conscience, and the cost of standing firm in turbulent times. Together, they signal a shift in India’s storytelling—from mimicry to meaning, from spectacle to substance. This is soft power at its most authentic: narratives that arise organically from the soil, resonate across microcultures and regions, and project a self-assured civilisation unafraid to tell its own stories on its own terms.
Social media has democratised storytelling and reduced the entry barrier to content creation. Each of us holds potent tools in the palm of our hands, our humble smartphones, which wield more power than ever before. YouTube channels rival the viewership of mainstream media, especially since we can find a channel whose voice we resonate with. At a time like this, where opinions can find voice, it is incumbent upon each one of us to become responsible storytellers who, whilst remaining true to our values, can think beyond immediate economic benefit to how we can help the cause of national progress. Whether it’s drawing attention to socially relevant issues or countering false anti-national narratives being peddled by haters, broadcasting the truth has never been easier!
