A ray of hope—this is how many in India view the recent cancellation of an Israeli film festival. The event, scheduled earlier this month at Mumbai’s National Museum of Indian Cinema, was called off by the National Film Development Corporation of India (NFDC) following significant public opposition.
Over 1,000 film stars, directors, activists, and concerned citizens issued a collective statement objecting to the festival. They cited the ongoing genocide in Gaza, which has now claimed 40,000 lives, including more than 15,000 children, over the past 11 months.
Notable signatories of the statement include Indian actors Nasiruddin Shah and Ratna Pathak Shah, documentary filmmaker Anand Patwardhan, and human rights lawyer Mihir Desai. In their statement, they condemned the event, stating, “It is shameful to hold such a festival when the world is witnessing Israeli war crimes in Gaza. This genocide is unfolding in real-time, and we are forced to watch this inhuman monstrosity on our mobile devices and TV screens.”
The question arises: Why did the NFDC even organize an event celebrating Israel at a time when the world is divided over the Palestine issue, with Palestinians enduring some of the worst war crimes?
The simplest answer is that the NFDC is a state-backed agency. Given the current strengthening of ties between India and Israel, hosting such an event aligns with the tone of the government.
In recent years, India and Israel have deepened their economic partnership, particularly in arms trade. Since October, India has even agreed to send tens of thousands of workers to Israel to address their labor shortage.
However, the NFDC’s decision to host an Israeli film festival goes beyond economic ties. To fully understand this, it’s important to consider the history and complexity of India’s state-run film entity.
Looking back, the NFDC and its predecessor, the Film Finance Corporation (FFC), were created to support alternative cinema that critiques societal norms and serves as a medium for depicting change. However, the NFDC also has the role of aligning with the political climate, often highlighting government achievements or contributing to the image-building of political leaders, such as former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
For instance, the 1976 film Manthan (The Churning), which depicted the dairy industrial revolution in India, showcased development politics from a socialist perspective, reflecting the success of government schemes.
For Gandhi, the film was an opportunity to improve her public image, particularly as she called off the Emergency in 1977. This image-building continued when Gandhi returned as premier in 1980, authorizing the NFDC to provide $6.5 million to help fund a $22 million biopic of Gandhi, as noted by historian Rochona Majumdar.
I am an experienced writer, analyst, and author. My exposure in English journalism spans more than 28 years. In the past, I have been working with daily The Muslim (Lahore Bureau), daily Business Recorder (Lahore/Islamabad Bureaus), Daily Times, Islamabad, daily The Nation (Lahore and Karachi). With daily The Nation, I have served as Resident Editor, Karachi. Since 2009, I have been working as a Freelance Writer/Editor for American organizations.
