What it Means to Be a Muslim Living in India: Insights from Experience and from Bollywood Movies

Mohammad Niyaz Ahmad

American Journal of Economics and Sociology, 2021, vol. 80, issue 3, 949-963

Abstract: In India, there are a number of popular movies released every year in which Muslims are exemplified as negative characters such as dons, villains, or terrorists. This type of propaganda harms the image of an entire community. Only modern education has enabled Muslims to gain an accepted place with other communities living in India. Hence, Bollywood movies tend to present a peculiar image of Muslims, in their everyday struggles and aspirations, seeking to prove that they are patriotic nationalists. This article draws on two famous movies—Mulk and Shahid—and on my own fieldwork with Muslim communities, which is exemplified by the narratives of a Muslim man named Saleem who hails from Azamgarh district of Uttar Pradesh and currently lives in Mumbai. Based on those sources, this article sheds light on the humiliations of being a Muslim in India today, the struggles they face, and their aspirations to prove themselves patriots so they might be allowed to live a dignified life. The experiences of Saleem and the characters in the movies reveal that education is an influential instrument in bringing positive change in the life of Muslims.

Date: 2021
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