Nationalism in cinema is an over-used trope: Abhay Deol

Actor says his latest web series aligns perfectly with his anti-war philosophy

Abhay Deol says his web series 1962: The War in the Hills aligns perfectly with his anti-war philosophy as it focuses more on individual stories rather than indulging in hyper-nationalism.

The actor believes nationalism in cinema is an over-used trope. “It has been done to death and it’s counter-productive. It’s easy to be provocative in a nationalistic way, rile up people’s feelings for their nation. It’s harder to stay away from that and try to find a philosophy behind why we fight and what is its impact?” The Indian Express quoted him as saying.

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Deol plays the lead role in the Mahesh Manjrekar-directed series which is set against the backdrop of the 1962 India-China War. It narrates the story of 125 Indian Army offices who fought with 3,000 Chinese soldiers.

The Aisha star said he took up the series as it does not glamourise war. “Most of the time, we glamourise winning a fight. But there’s compassion given to the other side as well, an empathy given to all mankind, than just saying we are better than you or we won. The show is a lot more about the individuals that fight, their families and the impact that has on their lives, communities.”

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The 44-year-old insists The War in the Hills is topical because it takes a humanitarian stand, rather than a mechanistic approach towards wars. Deol is prepared for varied reactions to the show as he is aware that people might have different takeaways from its story.

Asked if he is apprehensive about taking up a historical show, Deol said it would be difficult to move forward if one tried to “please everybody.”

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