Rep. Ro Khanna: Why I Took a Congressional Delegation to Bollywood (Visitor Column)

When I decided to lead the first delegation of lawmakers to India to celebrate the country’s Independence Day earlier this month, I knew that Bollywood had to be a major focus of the trip because it has played such an important role in telling India’s story after colonialism.

Hollywood and Bollywood are among the most influential film industries in the world. Along with their impact on global culture and cinema, they are also among the most profitable. Last year, the film industry in the U.S. reached $6.9 billion in revenue while in India it reached $1.28 billion.

Despite being on opposite sides of the globe, with different historical and cultural contexts, they offer a cultural connection rooted in shared values. And today, both countries are experiencing similar challenges as new technology emerges and they aim to appeal to wider audiences around the globe.

As an Indian American who grew up with immigrant parents in Bucks County, PA, watching Bollywood and Hollywood films at home was an essential part of understanding my identity and my family’s culture, including the traditions, values and the historical struggle for independence.

In Mumbai, I had the honor of meeting with one of Bollywood’s greatest actors, Amitabh Bachchan, who has starred in over 200 films and is a national icon. Many of his films capture the Indian independence movement such as his role as a freedom fighter in Inquilaab. He’s been a source of empowerment for generations of Indians and people around the world.

Bachchan spent over an hour with us and wanted to talk about emerging trends in technology and filmmaking and talked about the cultural ties between America and India. He reminded us of his visits throughout America in the ’70s and ’80s when he’d go on tour to perform for the Indian diaspora in America. 

He gave me a book that was written by his father, who knew my grandfather, Amarnath Vidyalankar, an Indian Freedom Fighter who served in Mahatma Gandhi’s first parliament and was imprisoned alongside him. He told me how proud he was of India’s journey since independence and how connected he felt to the Indian American community. For me, meeting with Bachchan was as momentous as meeting with the Prime Minister.

Bachchan’s life story embodies the story of India. His life has paralleled the maturing of a young nation, starring in films since 1969, including films on Indian independence. Now, 54 years later, he is hosting Kaun Banega Crorepati, the long running Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, and still one of the most popular Indian shows. 

Just as art, film and theater provide an outlet for expression in the U.S., the same is true in India. Bachchan and leaders in Bollywood demonstrate how important it is for a thriving democracy to be able to laugh at itself and to nurture forms of expression in which people can question authority and talk about the importance of human dignity and family.

We can see common values and themes in some of the most popular films in our two countries like Barbie and Bollywood’s Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani. As Barbie struggles with her identity and societal norms, Rani in Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani navigates her desire for independence, her own identity and her family’s traditional values. Both promote a message of female empowerment and the importance of self-discovery.

We can also see this connection in values with the movies PK and Oppenheimer. PK is a satirical science-fiction film about an alien that comes to earth and lands in Rajasthan without any understanding of societal norms or religion. Like Oppenheimer, PK makes us question the wisdom of the powers that be, reflect on the greater meaning of life, as well as grapple with the potential and the danger of new technology.

During my conversation with Bachchan, he expressed his sympathy for the striking actors and writers in the U.S. and his concern about the rise of AI. He spoke about how technology has been used by studios who own his image and likeness and have put him in scenes he never filmed — a concern that many of the actors on strike are facing.

As a representative of Silicon Valley, I have been urging leaders across government, labor and business to prepare for the AI revolution and the ways that it will change our economy.

At the same time, we must acknowledge that AI is a tool that should enhance the work of humans — not replace it. AI can’t write the next Hamlet or replace Bachchan’s acting. Our writers and actors are essential, and the studios must treat them with dignity and pay them fairly.

What matters for the celebration of freedom, creativity and individual expression in art around the world is to see the actors and writers in Hollywood and Bollywood thrive.

As lawmakers, we have an obligation to support this freedom of expression around the world. Our visits to foreign countries can’t just be about meeting government leaders and business leaders. We should be celebrating and expanding this creative space.

This will bring the people of different nations closer together and help more of humanity express their views and be empowered to live their dreams.