This book explores the complex relationship between Indian nationalism and Hindi cinema, examining how film serves as a crucial medium due to its visual narrative power and connections to traditional cultural forms including Parsi theatre, folk traditions, and mythological storytelling.

While Hindi films have often been positioned as embodiments of nationalism, they simultaneously present alternative, more inclusive, and liberal conceptions of national belonging. The collection investigates the multifaceted construction, dissemination, and reception of Indian nationalism across four decades of Hindi cinema, from the 1980s through the 2020s.

The contributors analyze how Hindi cinema, as both a discursive and popular medium, not only portrays various forms of nationalism but also shapes the politics of film production through nation-building narratives and industry power dynamics. The volume demonstrates how films have served as mouthpieces for those in power, showcasing both majoritarian perspectives and critical challenges to hegemonic thinking. Covering a deliberately broad timeline and diverse genres—from war epics and sports dramas that exemplify muscular nationalism to biopics, comedy-dramas, and spy thrillers—this collection offers a nuanced examination of nationalist messaging across different periods of India's socio-economic development and political leadership.

This book is essential reading for academics, researchers, and students in film studies, cultural studies, regional studies, and nationalism studies focused on Indian cultural landscapes.

The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of National Identities.