The Muslim Community in Mumbai Films: A Dubious Lot
Background
Before I write anything further on what to many will be a contentious topic, its worth to ponder of how Islam came to India. The initial invasions were by the Turks and the Arabs who entered India in about the 9th and 10th century. in a series of battles, they defeated the local rulers who were Hindus. At that time it was not a Hindu- Muslim conflict, but just an attempt by some of the foreign invaders to carry away the loot from India after pillaging the country. However they had some missionary zeal and converted a few Hindus from lower castes to Islam.
Some of the Muslim from Central Asia never went back and settled in India. Notable being the Mughal dynasty that ruled in a broad sense from 1526-1857 and produced 20 emperors, the greatest conqueror of them being Aurangzeb. This was the dark age as brought out by William Duff, the historian, the Muslim rulers made a distinction between the rulers and the ruled. In addition the Hindu population declined by 80 million. The Hindus were reduced to second class citizens and at most periods paid a special tax to practice their religion called "Jiziya". Can anyone deny this?
For the next 9 centuries the Muslims ruled almost all India including the South and during this period they developed a patronising attitude. In their courts the Muslims were preferred . Even history shows that the court of the Nizam of Hyderabad, had 90% of all senior officials from the Muslim community.This was despite the entire population of his realm being 90% Hindu. Thus many Hindus converted to Islam to gain the benefit of Muslim rule and to be considered as rulers than being ruled.
Muslims during these 900 years, became used to being an elite class and always looked down on Hindus. There were exceptions, but then remember one swallow does not make the summer.
India after the Raj and Independence
During these 900 years of Muslim dominance the ruling elite( the Muslims ) developed a psychological ethos of being superior. 900 years is a long time and during this period the Muslims were the decision makers. This fact cannot be denied by the pseudo secularists as they have no facts otherwise. However one fact that needs mention is that 98% of the present lot of Muslims have Hindu roots, which they would be glad to deny.
The arrival of the British did change the equation as the Muslims were clubbed with the Hindus as subjects and both were treated equally. The Muslims chaffed at this. Luckily a man called Gandhi appeared on the scene and he formulated a policy of trying to woo the Muslims. He failed and the Muslims were determined to maintain a separate identity.
The British left India in 1947 and power was handed over to Hindu leadership and Muslim leadership with creation of Pakistan. The Muslims left behind in India felt they had been left as orphans and always looked to Pakistan as the mother state.
During the Raj the film industry also sprouted in India. The Muslim community entered this line with gusto as at most placed in India where Muslims ruled the art of Nautch girls and musicians were the handiwork of Muslims. The great singer and Musician during the days of Akbar, Tansen was also a Muslim. The Muslims thus had a tradition of music and dance as they were the ruling class. This found natural expression in the film industry in Bombay. The Muslims also felt that they could regain their pride by entering films. Thus though the Muslims were in a minority, yet they began to dominate the Film world. One other reason was that most old time actresses were Muslim as they came from the nautch girl gharana and were more forthcoming than Hindu girls who were for long suppressed.
Mumbai Films and Muslims
1947 was a traumatic year for the Muslim community as a Muslim state Pakistan was created. Almost all Muslims had a latent desire to go to Pakistan, but reality dictated otherwise. In addition India opted for a secular state in preference to a Hindu state. The Hindus subjected to 900 years as ruled, became rulers. Unfortunately the leadership was weak and overall the Hindu leadership thought it better to placate the Muslims left behind in India, so as to integrate them with the nation. This never happened, but resulted in the Muslims becoming defiant and aggressive.
The Muslims thus exercised the option to remain behind in India and top actresses like Meena Kumai, Nargis, Nimmi, Shyama, et all who were Muslim opted to remain in India. At that time a string of directors like Mehboob Khn, K Asif and many more in the Music and acting department who were Muslims remained behind. In fact to cover up his Muslim trail, the actor Dilip Kumar( really Yusuf Khan)adopted a Hindu name.
The Muslims in Mumbai films though earning money in India and being adulated by the Hindu masses in real terms had empathy for Pakistan.
In 1962 there was a border war with China. At that time the entire film industry led by Dilip Kumar and Mehboob Khan showed their patriotism by holding functions all over India to support the war against China. The India army was defeated and the Mumbai film industry supported the war effort.
However only 3 years later the was a war with Pakistan. The war ended in a stalemate and people all over India were roused against Pakistan. Unfortunately it is on record that the Bombay film industry was silent. Dilip Kumar went into hiding and other Muslim film luminaries had nothing to say. They never condemned Pakistan and Dilip Kumar privately felt that Pakistan was right and India should hand over Kashmir to Pakistan. No wonder that the Shiv Sena Member of parliament Nirupam called Dilip Kumar a Pakistani agent in parliament.
Muslims Dominate Mumbai Films and Mafia Dons Come in
Times change and over the decades the hold of Muslims on the Mumbai film industry increased.The criminal Dons decided that there was good money to be made from this industry and they began to finance film projects. At that time the Government of India committed a tactical blunder and did not declare the films as an industry and thus money from banks and financial institution was not forthcoming. This lacuna of finance was solved by the dons, many of who were sitting in Dubai or Karachi.
These Dons pumped in millions of dollars, but they were all Muslims and one of the stipulations ( which has been confirmed to me by a film producer) was that the main star would be a Muslim. They wanted Hindu girls as heroines and not Muslim girls as Islam frowned on women. Thus a tactical shift began to take place and the Muslim heroines became fewer and Hindu girls came up. In addition almost all top male stars were Muslim. I wonder if anybody has spared a thought as to how with a population percentage of 15, the majority of the top male stars are all Muslim. Some pseudo secularists will quote a few Hindu names also as top stars , but this does not answer the main question.
Once the Dons have come in, they won't go back and these Muslim stars have to dance to the tunes of the dons. On national TV, one of the Directors of the Intelligence Bureau, now retired brought out that the top most Muslim star in Mumbai now voicing cliches on "intolerance" was dancing at the birthday of the Don (Dawood Ibrahim) in Dubai in 1992.
Matters have not ended there and it is on record that at least half a dozen Muslim stars and many other prominent directors and producers have voiced their opposition to the "insecurity" and " intolerance" they are supposed to be facing. Forgetting that they are earning billions in India and leading a life of utmost luxury. They are confident that whatever they say will be accepted and Hindus ( a few of them) will whine like a dog, but in effect nothing will happen. In this they stand exposed. two of the top stars and lesser stars have all mouthed these cliches, which have been lapped up by the foreign media.
In one of the parties I attended after the infamous outburst by Amir Khan, that he wanted with his wife to leave India , a top Brigadier General of the local army mentioned that in case such a man had similar statement in his country , he would have been flown out by a chartered plane to where ever he wanted to go. I told him such things do not happen in India as we are a democracy. He laughed, and said go through and see how the Americans act and the statements of the candidate Donald Trump.
The fact remains that the Hindus are a tolerant lot and the bigger fact is that the superstars articulate what the Muslims feel. In fact instead of motivating them to be nationalist, they emphasize the differences. Both the superstar Khans were quiet when the Congress was in power though there were massacres of Muslims in Assam and Bhagalpur earlier.
These are the men who have misused the adulation showered on them. The nexus between the Dons and the Muslims of the film world must be broken. It is a Herculean task, at least it appears so, but in reality all it needs is will power. Let us see how the Indian nation reacts to the shady role of these so called stars and the small time men artistes in the Mumbai film world. They are indeed a dubious lot.
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