Secularism returns to Bollywood: Mahesh Bhatt

Retired director Mahesh Bhatt has some reflections on secularism in Bollywood cinema on Sabrang. He lauds the 'golden years' of Hindi cinema -- the 1950s and 60s. This was when poet-lyricists like Sahir Ludhianvi and Kaifi Azmi wrote some of the most memorable classic popular songs in Indian history -- in rich, flowering Urdu.

Bhatt also believes that Bollywood went through a 'dark' phase in the 1990s, with a trend towards anti-Muslim cinema. The main example he gives is Gadar, though one can can easily think of some others: Sarfarosh, Fiza, Mission Kashmir.

Bhatt feels that moment may be over, and he cites the popularity of colorized version of the classic Dilip Kumar film Mughal e-Azam as proof. I might also add Main Hoon Na, which tried to make Nehruvian secularism seem hip again.

Let's hope he's right.