Opinion Politics

Opinion | “Modi Hai To Mumkin Hai” vs “Bhakt Ka Chashma”: The Tale of Two Propaganda Campaigns

Music label T-Series launched a song on PM Modi featuring Bollywood actors (Picture Credit: T-Series)

The brand proposition of “Modi Hai To Mumkin Hai” had already failed the audience test – the 2024 Lok Sabha election result being a prime example

The difference between a successful propaganda campaign and a failed one depends on three key factors. First, the insight into your target audience; what they are currently thinking. Second, your campaign proposition. Third, why they should believe your narrative

The recently launched music video by T-Series titled “Modi Hai To Mumkin Hai”, featuring Hindi film actors like Varun Dhawan, Arshad Warsi, Rajkummar Rao, was not well received by social media users. Though it received a large number of views, it also attracted heavy dislikes and became the subject of numerous memes.

The reason for this was not necessarily a decline in Modi’s popularity. Apart from its poor production quality and visibly unenthusiastic and forced performances by the actors, the campaign lacked both audience insight and believability.

The brand proposition of “Modi Hai To Mumkin Hai” had already failed the audience test. During the 2024 general elections, when this brand proposition was used extensively, BJP secured its lowest number of parliamentary seats since 2014.

As a result, even the “pro Modi” audience, though they may have watched and shared the video, showed little interest in engaging with it, neither liking nor commenting in support of the campaign.

Thus, instead of improving Modi’s image, strained after “Vote Chori” campaign, Sonam Wangchuk’s arrest, the Chief Justice shoe-hurling episode, the video likely caused more damage than good.

Now compare this with another old 2019, propaganda campaign, “Bhakt Ka Chashma”. This one was combative yet effective because it clearly understood its target audience, which was very different from that of the Modi campaign audience. The message resonated better, and the specific “anti Modi” target audience found it more believable.

While Modi’s lager popularity base then, did limit the viewership of the “Bhakt Ka Chashma”. “Modi Hai To Mumkin Hai” video drew far more views, but then, it also attracted far more dislikes and memes.

I suggest you watch both the videos together and decide for yourself.

 

Sujit Nair is Managing Editor, HW News.

 

 

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