Can propaganda be great art?

In Focus by The Hindu · Dec 25, 2025 · 48m

The age-old question of whether works created with explicit ideological intent can achieve artistic greatness has long divided critics, artists, and audiences. From Leni Riefenstahl’s films glorifying Nazism to the bold, constructivist posters of the Soviet era, history offers uncomfortable affirmations of propaganda transcending its purpose to become enduring art.

Recently, this debate has been reignited by Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar, a sprawling spy thriller. While critics have lambasted it for selectively blending real events with fiction to push ultra-nationalist narratives, defenders of…