Critics argue that the film promotes a Hindutva agenda and perpetuates negative stereotypes about Muslims
NEW DELHI — The Telangana government’s presentation of the Gaddar Film Award to Razakar: The Silent Genocide of Hyderabad, a film widely criticised for its communally polarising Hindutva narrative, has sparked widespread criticism.
The film is set against the backdrop of the former Hyderabad state’s integration into the Union of India against the wishes of the Nizam. The film’s portrayal of the Razakars, a paramilitary force of the Nizam of Hyderabad, has been criticised for its divisive and biased narrative.
The awards, named after revolutionary Telangana poet Gaddar, were instituted by the Congress government led by Chief Minister Revanth Reddy earlier this year.
The controversial film was presented with the award on Saturday (14 June) for the best feature film on history. The film is produced by Telangana Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Gudur Narayana Reddy and directed by Yata Satyanarayana. Telugu actor and BJP leader Jayasudha is the chairperson of the jury, constituted by the Reddy government. Actor and former MP Murali Mohan from the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), a party in alliance with the BJP, is also a member of the jury.
The film won three Gaddar Awards – best feature film on environment/heritage/history; best music director for Bheems Ceciroleo; and best make-up artist for Nalla Sreenu.
Activists and opposition leaders have expressed shock and disappointment over the government’s decision, questioning the Congress party’s secular credentials. They argue that the film promotes a Hindutva agenda and perpetuates negative stereotypes about Muslims.
The jury has also faced criticism. A writ petition was filed in the Telangana High Court, alleging irregularities in the jury’s selection process and questioning the validity of the award.
The Razakars were deployed to crush the Telangana peasant struggle and they allegedly committed several atrocities against those fighting the Nizam state, including Muslims.
In recent years, the BJP has been trying to misrepresent the complicated role of the Razakars for political gains. Brushing aside the nuances of the Telangana peasant rebellion and the supposed oppression of predominantly lower caste workers by the Razakars in collusion with dominant caste landlords, the BJP has tried to reduce it into a simplistic Hindu-Muslim binary by painting it as plainly an instance of religious persecution.
Razakar, which was initially intended for release before the 2023 Telangana Assembly elections, has been criticised for typecasting and villainising the Muslim community as a whole.
Activists have questioned the Congress government’s decision to honour such a film. “A propaganda film by BJP leaders targeting and spreading hate against Hyderabadi Muslims under the guise of the Razakar movie has been awarded Best Film. Shockingly, Telangana Congress and CM Revanth are endorsing the director’s views,” Hyderabad-based civic rights activist SQ Masood said.
A propaganda film by BJP leaders targeting & spreading hate against Hyderabadi Muslims under the guise of #Razakar movie, has been awarded Best Film on History with the Gaddar Award by Telangana govt.
— S.Q.Masood | مسعود (@SQMasood) June 14, 2025
Shockingly, @INCTelangana @revanth_anumula are endorsing the director’s views. pic.twitter.com/3c63e46t6J
“The movie denigrates the martyrs who sacrificed their lives in the Telangana Peasant Armed Struggle. The peasants’ struggle was against the landlords and zamindars was for land, food, and freedom from slavery; however, the Razakar film depicted it as a rift between the Hindus and the Muslims,” Telangana Communist Party of India (CPI) leader Takallapally Srinivas Rao said.
Majlis Bachao Tehreek spokesperson Amjadullah Khan questioned the Congress’s secularism and the silence of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) on the award.
Razakar falls in the same bracket as The Kashmir Files and The Kerala Story, both of which have also been widely criticised for basing their accounts on stereotypes that paint Muslims as villains, while claiming to portray real-life incidents.
While such films have received endorsement from the BJP in the past in the form of awards, tax concessions, and praise from party leaders, the support for Razakar from Chief Minister Reddy, who has often berated the BJP for inciting communal conflicts, has come as a surprise to many.
The controversy has sparked a heated debate about the role of politics in art and the importance of promoting communal harmony. Critics argue that the government’s decision sends the wrong signal and undermines the secular fabric of the state.
