MD ALI
It has been observed that since the early 20th century, cinema has been the most immersive and collective social experience. It has been used not just for entertainment, but also as a mass medium for propaganda and ideological dissemination.
In India, for the past few years, a wave of films with similar themes has been flooding theatres, often infused with a considerable amount of propaganda disguised as stories based on real events.
These films — The Sabarmati Report (2024), Aakhir Palaayan Kab Tak? (2024), The Kashmir Files (2022), ‘The Kerala Story (2023), Swatantra Veer Savarkar (2024), JNU: Jahangir National University (2024), Bastar: The Naxal Story (2024), 72 Hoorain (72 Virgins) (2023) have been criticized for their biased representation and trying to set a tone that is aligned with the right-wing Hindutva politics. The allegory of the films is explicitly partisan and has the potential to deepen communal divides.
In the series of propaganda film productions and their seamless releases, the newest entry — Udaipur Files: Kanhaiya Lal Tailor Murder (2025) — which was set to release on July 11, has been put on hold by the High Court after a petition was filed against its release by Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind president Maulana Arshad Madani.
The film is claimed to be based on the incident when two men—Mohammad Riyaz and Ghouse Mohammad—on June 28, 2022, posed as customers and hacked to death Kanhaiya Lal Teli at his shop in Udaipur. The attack was reportedly over a post shared by Teli on social media in support of Sharma, a former BJP spokesperson who was suspended for her objectionable remarks about the Prophet during a live television debate.
The Udaipur Files film is produced by Amit Jani and directed by Bharat S. Shrinate. The film stars Vijay Raaz as Kanhaiya Lal Teli in the leading role.
“The film’s trailer includes the controversial statement by Nupur Sharma, which not only worsened the communal atmosphere across the country but also tarnished the country’s image at the international level and negatively impacted our friendly relations with other countries,” Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind president Maulana Arshad Madani said.
The two-minute and three-second trailer of the film has all the motifs and cues that can be considered a fair dose of propaganda. Heated Mandir-Masjid arguments. A statue of Nandi, with tears rolling down, waiting for its revered Mahadev for centuries. Muslim leaders conspiring to kill blasphemers. Muslim youth being influenced by cross-border narratives. The film leaves no stone unturned in providing the required script for a hateful propaganda movie. Religious visibility has been used as the main ingredient. The film also appears to stray from its stated theme, as suggested by the title. The trailer includes tales of invasion by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. It also drags in events from the Sambhal Masjid survey and heated court hearings. Characters modelled on real-life figures like Yogi Adityanath and former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma to congeal its realism.
A bench headed by Chief Justice DK Upadhyay and Justice Anish Dayal asked the petitioner to approach the Centre within two days to seek cancellation of the film’s CBFC (Centre and Central Board of Film Certification) certificate, clarifying that the stay will be in effect until the government’s decision on the interim plea.
The judges further directed the Centre to also take a call on the cancellation application within 7 days. Section 6 of the Cinematograph Act, 1952, empowers the Centre to declare a film uncertified and pass certain interim measures, such as suspension of the certificate upon an application by the aggrieved person.
The BJP-led NDA has shown leniency toward such films. If the central government invokes Section 6 of the Cinematograph Act of 1952 to cancel the certification issued by the CBFC, it will mark a significant turning point in the history of Indian right-wing politics.
Producer Amit Jani (44), who hails from Meerut in Uttar Pradesh, has nearly 14 cases registered against him. Jani’s right-wing politics is explicit and often draws headlines—for all the wrong reasons.
Jani first hit the headlines in July 2012 when he and the members of his outfit vandalised the statue of former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati at Lucknow’s Ambedkar Park.
In May 2016, he was arrested for allegedly threatening then JNU Students’ Union president Kanhaiya Kumar and student leader Umar Khalid by planting a loaded gun and a letter on a bus, warning that they would be beheaded.
In April 2017, amid allegations that some students supported the Pakistani cricket team, Jani allegedly put up hoardings on the Delhi-Dehradun highway, telling Kashmiris to leave or face consequences, leading to his arrest.
By July of that year, he was booked again for allegedly calling for SP leader Azam Khan’s tongue to be cut out over remarks on security personnel.
In October 2017, UP Police arrested him for sharing an edited image of the Taj Mahal draped in saffron flags and calling for a Hindu gathering there.
In December 2018, following the BJP’s loss in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh Assembly polls, his outfit was booked for allegedly putting up “Yogi versus Modi” hoardings in Lucknow, highlighting “Jumlebaazi” vs Yogi’s “Hindutva brand.”
In February 2019, after the Pulwama attack, he put up a “Kashmiris not allowed” sign at his Noida hotel.
Ironically, while Jani has made a movie on the Udaipur murder, he had announced a 2019 Lok Sabha ticket for Shambhulal Regar, who, in December 2017, hacked migrant labourer Mohammad Afrazul Khan to death in a similar manner in Rajsamand—and then burned the body. Like in the Udaipur case, Regar too recorded a video of the incident, which later went viral.
As the release of the Udaipur Files draws closer, Jani has claimed he is receiving death threats on social media for his movie.
In the recent development, the producer of the film, Amit Jani, was granted a Y-category security by the Supreme Court order after the director and the son of Kanhaiya Lal approached the police and sought protection as they alleged a threat to their lives. The Y-category security provides a total of 11 personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) who will accompany Jani for movement within Uttar Pradesh and Delhi.
The Supreme Court on Friday declined to extend the stay on the release of the film Udaipur Files: Kanhaiya Lal Tailor Murder and told those objecting to it to approach the Delhi High Court for any further relief. Director of the film, Bharat Shrinate, told NDTV, “We respect the Supreme Court’s order and are ready to release the film on August 8. Jani Firefox Films is going to start promotions and release Udaipur Files worldwide on August 8. Truth always wins.”
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting directed the makers of Udaipur Files to implement six specific changes before its release, in line with the recommendations of a screening committee.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi told senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Menaka Guruswamy, who appeared for those opposing its release, that they can approach the high court if they want to challenge the order by the expert committee set up by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry to review the certificate granted to the movie by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).
