Smokers' corner: Bollywood’s Hold on Pakistan

Bollywood films, often laced with overt propaganda against Pakistan, consistently rank high on Netflix's trending charts in Pakistan. This phenomenon defies patriotic expectations and highlights an intriguing sociological puzzle. The Indian state actively incites discord through its support of proxy networks and Baloch separatists, yet Pakistani audiences remain drawn to Bollywood's polished productions.

Post-1980s, a rightward cultural shift in Pakistan, driven by military dictatorship and moralist groups, resulted in a demand for slick action, grand soundtracks, and star power. Enterprises like Bollywood fulfilled this demand, delivering high-production value at a fraction of the cost. When a Bollywood film emerges on a popular streaming platform, often in Hindi, it becomes an irresistible allure for Pakistani audiences.

The question then arises: how do Pakistani viewers reconcile their attraction to Indian cinema with the hostile political narratives embedded within these films? Research indicates that viewers compartmentalize their viewing experience, treating the screen as a societal fantasy where entertainment takes precedence over geopolitics.

The cultural familiarity of shared idioms, music, and heritage allows Bollywood films to bypass psychological barriers, enabling a seamless viewing experience. However, this phenomenon also reflects a broader "soft-power hegemony." As in the 1980s, the Pakistani state's puritanical policies inadvertently created a cultural vacuum, which Indian popular culture filled with Bollywood blockbusters, soap operas, and wedding aesthetics.

This cultural exchange gradually infiltrated Pakistani middle-class lifestyles, eroding local cultural alternatives. Despite the increasingly hostile narratives in Bollywood films, Pakistani audiences appreciate the cinematic spectacle, disentangling themselves from the underlying anti-Pakistan sentiments. This detachment, bolstered by historical and linguistic affinities, allows viewers to enjoy Bollywood's grandeur without compromising their national identity.

Ultimately, cross-border soft-power hegemony operates through this mechanism, with Indian cultural products subtly shaping the mindset of Pakistani audiences and embedding Indian cultural elements into their daily lives.