With the Lok Sabha general election scheduled in 1984 hence, the mid-’80s witnessed a windfall of films on politics. While some films captured the excitement of elections, others took a more civic-minded approach. MLA Yedukondalu (1984), a Telugu film, stands out for emphasizing the power of voting, and its message struck a chord with viewers, making it a massive success. Dasari Narayan Rao remade the film as Aaj Ka MLA Ram Avtar, starring Rajesh Khanna. He reportedly made the film in just 13 days and strategically released it on the election eve, reaping maximum box office benefits. The movie depicted how corrupt politicians mint money after coming to power. It showed a barber (Rajesh Khanna) joining politics and becoming rich by wrong means. He rises to the post of the chief minister.
Politics on the Big Screen: A New Wave in 80s Cinema
The success of Aaj Ka MLA Ram Avtar spawned films like Inquilaab with Amitabh Bachchan and Yeh Desh with Jeetendra. Arjun (1985), starring Sunny Deol, took a bold stance against corrupt politicians. The film showed how they prey on innocent youth, revealing their true nature. Sunny’s performance was widely praised.
Inspired by Arjun, filmmaker N. Chandra made a more realistic and hard-hitting film, Ankush (1986), highlighting the problem of unemployed youth and their exploitation by the political leaders.
In 1986, New Delhi Times, starring Shashi Kapoor, created a storm for its bold and unique subject. The movie ripped apart the political leader’s unnecessary interference with media barons. It depicted how these leaders in power twist and turn stories to suit their interest Shashi Kapoor played the role of an investigative journalist who unearths a heart-rending story involving politicians. But due to the politician’s clout over print media, he fights tooth and nail to bring truth to light. The movie fetched a national award for Shashi Kapoor.
The Rise of Political Cinema in the 1980s
Pratighaat in 1987 was a remake of a Gujarati hit play—Chitkaar—with Sujata Mehta in the lead. Film director N. Chandra bought its rights and made it in Hindi, retaining Sujata Mehta as its heroine. The movie has ahigh- voltage theme depicting the common man’sfightt against politicians. It showed how a politician disrobes the heroine on the main road and people standing watch mutely the shameful deed. Later the heroine takes her revenge by gathering strength and joins politics to beat the corrupt politicians in the election. But the politician uses muscle power and does booth capturing to win illegally. Angered by the height of malpractice the heroine kills the minister in a public gathering and surrenders herself. The movie was a big hit. Similarly, Rekha in the film Phool Bane Angaray (1991) played the role of a cop who takes revenge against a political leader whokilledl her husband.
Amitabh Bachchan‘s Main Azaad Hoon (1989) was written by Javed Akhtar, inn which he exposed how media barons use ‘sensation’ as a means to sell newspapers! The film showed how an opportunist journalist entices an unemployed youth called Azaad to commit suicide and awaken the government to give jobs for unemployment.
However, later Azaad foresees the politics of the media and hence gathers public support to fight against corruption and all evil present in society and commits suicide on 26 January from a 30-story building for the national cause.
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