Few months ago, social media erupted with praises of the movie 'Sita Ramam'. A good old-fashioned romance blended in with action and patriotism which reminded people of 'Veer Zara'. Despite it being a beautifully shot film, I was unable to enjoy it to the fullest. Truth be hold, this has been true for most of the Bollywood action movies I have watched in the last few years. Maybe it is the changing sociopolitical environment of our country or merely the fact that I have finally grown up to realize that cinema isn't just a form of entertainment, but a reflection of our inner core beliefs that has long lasting impact on the society and the power to influence where we are heading as a nation. So what is the factor that has ruined movies for a cinephile like me? The answer, ladies and gentlemen, is the not so subtle Islamophobia.

All action movies we make today, particularly the ones where the protagonist is a soldier on a mission to save his country, follow a similar storyline. While the faces of heroes keep changing, those of the villains have been same over the years. It is always a Muslim. A kohl-eyed bearded man who constantly reminds the audience that his motivation for committing unspeakable crimes against humanity comes from his religion by frequently shouting phrases like "Allah-Hu-Akbar". An interesting point to note here is that when the antagonists aren't Muslims or their religious identities aren't perceptible, their backstory is usually a never-ending greed for power, wealth, or some personal vendetta. But a Muslim antagonist's depravity is invariably associated with him/her being a follower of Islam. This is also true for Muslim side characters and protagonists where every vice of them is traced back to their faith and their character development is done through distancing them from their religious identity. So Rahul or Mathew or Harpreet's misogynistic behavior will be attributed to the fact that they are men who grew up in our patriarchal society where their inappropriate behavior and lack of sensitivity and respect towards women, particularly the ones they aren't related with by blood, was always excused by playing the 'boys will be boys' card. They can be educated about this issue that plagues every community irrespective of their religion, caste, social status, etc; and can be transformed into better men and more responsible citizens. But Abdul's patriarchal behavior will be shown as a teachings of his 'extremist and conservative' religion. All of which will eventually conclude that the solution to the said problem in this case isn't education but eradication.

Revisiting my previous remarks about action and patriotic movies, it is extremely dangerous to constantly shows Muslims as individuals who do the worst things in the name of religion. It is ugly to always potray Muslims as intolerant individuals who are a threat to a secular society. People leave the theatre and notice their next door Muslim neighbors, friends, colleagues, and classmates praying to the same lord as the villian they saw on the big screen. They dress similarly and say the same phrase when greeting each other. For how long are we going to pretend that this doesn't have an impact, particularly in today's climate? For how long are we going to pretend that this doesn't widen the gaps between communities, deepens the cracks in the secular fabric of our country and feeds into the already enough ridiculous misconceptions about Muslims that pervade our society (particularly WhatsApp groups)?

It is ignorant and nasty of film makers to not recognize and acknowledge the detrimental effect of such scripts. Other than the blinding privilege of upper class and the resulting apolitical behavior, this also sheds light on the lack of creativity and effort in the storyline of our action films. All one has to do is write a few punchlines for the hero, pick a heroine to hold him when he's down, and decide the foreign location where he will be fighting in. As for the villian, all you have to do is find someone who looks evil in beard cause his character's name, religious identity, and inspiration for being a monster is predetermined. And what film makers don't realize is that their one "Muslim but not so Muslim so as to visibly appear Muslim, i.e keep a beard or wear a hijab" side character who supports the hero till the end and dies while serving with him will not compensate for the vile representation of the Muslim community throughout the film by their poorly written antagonists. Not to mention that these Muslim side characters' religious and national identities are always shown to be mutually exclusive. They further emphasize the ever so dangerously flawed theory that one can either be a good Muslim or a good Indian; that one must forsake either one of the identities to fully embrace the other. As if the ability to be a virtuous member of any religious community or country doesn't stem from being a decent and considerate human being in the first place.

A lot can be said about Muslim representation in cinema. About its role in hate crimes and prejudices against the community. About its insensitive depiction of Muslims as parochial and helpless people who are incapable of critical thinking and logical reasoning. This article is my personal viewpoint about the frustration and disappointment I feel as a Muslim when I see the roles and character arcs of people from my community onscreen. I can only hope that in future our films have dignified, responsible, and accurate portrayal of Islam and Muslims. 

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