Bollywood’s portrayal of Bangladesh’s Liberation War continues to center India’s role, sidelining the country’s agency in its own history The Bangladesh Liberation War, a pivotal event in South Asian history, has repeatedly been reimagined in Indian cinema, often prioritizing Indian narratives over Bangladeshi perspectives. Over five decades since the war, Indian films and series have consistently framed the struggle as a story of Indian heroism, intelligence, and moral clarity, while reducing Bangladesh’s role to background elements. This pattern persists in recent productions, including the web series Jazz City, which premiered on Sony LIV in March 2024. Set in 1971, Jazz City follows Jimmy Roy, a Bangladeshi refugee and nightclub owner in Kolkata, who becomes entangled in a covert “Indian mission” to aid Bangladeshi rebels. While the series features a standout performance by Arifin Shuvoo as Jimmy, the narrative remains anchored in Indian urgency and strategic dominance. Bangladeshi characters are often relegated to secondary roles, their struggles overshadowed by the central focus on Indian contributions to the war. This framing echoes a long-standing trend in Bollywood, where the Liberation War is portrayed as a theater of Indian heroism, with Bangladesh’s independence struggle reduced to scenery. The issue extends beyond individual films. Works like Gunday (2014), Raazi (2018), and Pippa (2023) similarly prioritize Indian perspectives, either through espionage plots, military action, or focus on Indian soldiers. Even classics like Border (1997) have reinforced this narrative, depicting the 1971 war as a self-contained story of Indian sacrifice. More recent films, such as Mission Majnu (2023) and IB71 (2023), bypass the nine months of bloodshed in Bangladesh, jumping directly to India’s strategic victories.#bollywood #india #bangladesh #jazz_city #gunday
