About Time Someone Spoke Up
Over the last year, Netflix has shifted its attention from just producing its original films and series to shows that bring to the fore the contemporary sociopolitical scenarios throughout the world. Bordering on similar lines, Netflix’s ‘Patriotic Act’ hosted by Hasan Minhaj, an Indian-American comedian, has come to be appreciated as having worldwide sociopolitical issues as its focal content.
Starting from China’s issues regarding censorship to the relationship between Saudi Arabia and the States, from free speech to student loans –Minhaj’s show has had a unique take on all. However, it was about time, Minhaj shifted his attention to one of the most important events happening in the present –the Indian Lok Sabha Elections, 2019. Minhaj goes on to dissect the approaching Indian general elections with much seriousness coated in levity.
Out and out, Minhaj does not fail to point out the seriousness of the risk he is taking by undertaking the task of dissecting the nation’s most controversial event (as it always has been). The elders, who have seen the better of the world, warn him right at the beginning that he is stepping into dangerous waters.
“Are you out of your mind? You’re being stupid now. You’re going to make millions of people angry. They are going to kill you. Talk about cricket. Talk about sneakers. You cannot talk about Narendra Modi. You cannot talk about Priyanka Gandhi,” they say. Someone points out (not that one can blame the person) that Minhaj would be labelled as a Pakistani agent. Somebody else says, “There is lots of garbage outside, and that garbage is going to come on your face if you open your mouth on Indian politics.” But hadn’t Hasan Minhaj talked about free speech just a few episodes earlier? Then how could he stop now? He has to go on. Someone has to! And so he begins his performance, mixing politics and humour, hoping this would perhaps make us see democracy the way we are ought to and not the way we are often forced to see.
Fun, Frolics and Politics – The Hasan Minhaj Way
Providing context to his on-set audience who are mostly Americans, Minhaj says, “Look, talking about politics in India can get you in a lot of trouble, especially because I am Indian and Muslim. It is very weird to be something that people love and also be something that people do not like. Right, it’s like if one half of you was Oreo cookie and the other half was Muslim.”
Thus begins an episode of 25 minutes throughout which Minhaj attempts to elucidate to a global audience the complexities of the notions and the process of elections in India. He eases the audience into his conversation as he takes a dig on what India is to the Western audience –goat yoga, tattoos made of henna and of course, bindi. He even uses his jokes to hit on the pop culture using reference points such as the wedding of Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra as he remarks, “You can’t just marry into it.”
While discussing pop culture and generic Western notions about India is one thing, Minhaj knows in his heart that discussing Indian politics is a tricky business. He attempts his best at being balanced with respect to not focusing on any of the leaders and devotes his time and show to the central point of the matter that India is a country that is changing, for better or for worse, time will tell.
Minhaj draws similarities between Trump and Modi comparing their respective “America First” and “India First” slogans. Presenting a photograph of Modi and Trump together, Minhaj concludes that while one of them pulls and tugs while shaking hands, the other one prefers to hug the world leaders –“one’s a tugger, the other’s a hugger.” However, as pointed out earlier, Minhaj makes sure to remain balanced and not appear biased against or towards any particular leader. Hence, for the same reason, he extends his discussion to the Congress party after engaging in a wide discussion about the BJP. He questions the Congress party for the 2G scandal and reveals its magnitude by a perfectly timed comical prick saying that it comes only second to the Watergate scandal of Richard Nixon.
Looking into the Mirror
Minhaj’s commentary on the current condition of Indian politics is a stark hit of reality, almost like looking into the mirror. Reality hits and it hits hard when Minhaj puts it in plain words, “Since Modi came to power, India has grown more hostile to minority groups. Among a vocal minority, there has been a resurgence in religious nationalism, specifically Hindu nationalism, the idea that India is a Hindu nation.”
Minhaj provides a look into the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and its fundamentalist approaches towards religious and social minorities as he ironically retorts, “Once again, you guys, Muslims – you’re number one, baby.” After providing his audience with some context about the RSS and its relationship with Modi, he discusses Uttar Pradesh under the governance of Yogi Adityanath whom he mocks to be “a monk with a gun” who has “systematically used fear of the minorities as a cultural wedge issue.” Furthermore, the episode does not rule out discussing issues like demonetization, unemployment, the controversial draft policy of the ‘National Register of Citizens’, or the attempt of Modi to bring in cash hanging on to the Indo-Pak tensions. Reflecting on one of the speeches of Modi, Minhaj comments, “In classic Indian fashion, Modi had to mix revenge and finance. We will retaliate with 6% interest and it will compound to 9%. Then we will refinance.”
As Minhaj moves on, he criticizes the Prime Minister’s disinterest in holding press conferences and answering to people violating the biggest condition of democracy, “He gives speeches all the time. But he is the only Indian prime minister to have never held a press conference in his own country. That way, he can never be questioned about his controversies. It’s like posting on Instagram, but disabling comments.”
Mocking Modi’s “history of saying a lot with silence” and particularly indicating at his reaction to the Gujarat riots, Minhaj remarks, “Ultimately, Modi follows the Lil Wayne rule of diplomacy: Real G’s move in silence like lasagna.” One of the biggest moments into the episode was Minhaj’s interview with the leader of the Congress Party, Sashi Tharoor, whom Minhaj introduces as someone who “sounds like a wise moose in a Pixar movie.”
Look Beyond the Mockery and You Will Find Reason
Going with the word on the street that Minhaj’s show explores “the modern cultural and political landscape with depth and sincerity,” Minhaj does “bring his unique comedic voice and storytelling skill to investigate the larger trends shaping our fragmented world.” However, keeping aside the fun factor of Minhaj’s “patriotic act”, one cannot miss his desperate intent.
He is aware that the States based Indian community, despite their personal political inclination, is not completely informed of the present sociopolitical scene of India. What they perceive as news can easily be made out to be media (both mass and social) influenced propaganda. Minhaj attempts at connecting the dots and presenting a clearer and bigger picture of the incongruent events happening throughout the nation. He tries to make sense of the fundamental shifts in the sociopolitical conditions of the country and in the process wake people up from the neutral apolitical sleep they have been in for years.
He wants people to be bothered about the tiniest of things. He wants them to ask questions whenever and wherever much as he dares to –“Will India remain India or not? Will India defines itself by inclusion or exclusion?” There is a fine balance between angering and influencing and the latter is what Minhaj does. He is forcing his audience to think. While some might say that he has oversimplified matters, the truth is that Minhaj has had the leverage –the leverage of a global platform to voice his concerns and leave an impact as his words reverberate –India “shouldn’t allow itself to be divided again.”
