Nehru’s Hero Dilip Kumar in the Life of India

Nehru’s hero: Dilip Kumar in the life of India is an unusual book on Indian cinema (1944-1964) that re-visits the Nehruvian era as reflected in the films of Dilip Kumar. It presents an analysis of politics through the prism of cinema rather than the other way round, as has often been done. Upon examining the films of Dilip Kumar – some of which Lord Meghnad Desai has seen more than 15 times – he discovers parallels between the socio-political arena in India and its reflection on screen, bringing fresh insight into the Nehruvian period of idealism and hope. He discusses issues as varied as censorship, the iconic ‘values’ of Indian machismo, identity and secularism. His logical and clear thesis of how the films portrayed a changing India brings home sharply images of that historic period and the contemporary world. Nehru’s hero creates a dramatic shift in how we view cinema, and provides a new perspective into films of the eternal screen legend – Dilip Kumar.