H-Pop : The Secretive World of Hindutva Pop Stars

by Kunal Purohit

" Can a song trigger a murder? Can a poem spark a riot? Can a book divide a people? Away from the gaze of mainstream urban media, across India's dusty, sleepy towns, a brand of popular culture is quietly seizing the imagination of millions, on the internet and off it. From catchy songs with acerbic lyrics to poetry recited in kavi sammelans to social media influencers shaping opinions with their brand of 'breaking news' to books rescripting historical events, 'Hindutva Pop' or H-Pop is steadily creating societal acceptability for Hindutva's core beliefs. By cleverly inserting Hindutva into popular culture, H-Pop normalizes Islamophobia, demonizes minorities and vilifies its critics each day, without ever making headlines. What makes H-Pop so popular? Who are its stars and its audience? Who is pouring in the money, the effort and the resources to produce and broadcast it? What is its impact on the BJP and Prime Minister Modi's popularity? And what kind of an India is it trying to create? These are some of the questions that award-winning independent journalist Kunal Purohit explores in this riveting investigative book as he travels through India, profiling some of H-Pop's most prolific and popular creators--its stars and celebrities. He interrogates whether the creators are driven by ideology or commerce, and what motivates the audience to consume their daily dose of bigotry. In doing so, Purohit uncovers the frightening face of a New India--one that is united by hate, divided by art. "

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics, India, Music

304 pages, Paperback

Published December 22, 2023

Reviews

[Anshuman Swain · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 rounded down to 4.

An incredible book about the inner workings of the right wing influenced entertainment industry in India through the lives of three people who are involved in different streams of entertainment (singing, poetry and journalism/online media). It is interesting to see how this industry fans the flames of misinformation through their large presence under the garb of entertainment and creates its own ecosystem.

[Kartik Chauhan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written with astute patience and considerate distance from any moral judgement, the book profiles three Hindutva pop stars who are no less than divine in the intangible, online temples of communal hatred. This is such a fascinating book, not only because it is among the firsts in this canon, but also because it revealed to me how ignorant I have been. Middle-class drawing rooms are so far away from the world of H-Pop, because every hour that we keep arguing amongst ourselves, thousands of people are being indoctrinated: That they need to take up arms to protect their religion. Thousands of people, hungry to find a way to spend their days (because of crippling unemployment in the country, but that’s not something to talk about), lap up this manufactured paranoia.

H-Pop reveals the sinister power of the government to administer, anticipate and annihilate public opinion to suit their propaganda. Read it, as if your life depends on it, because it does.

[Anushka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Purohit brings a unique perspective about the rise of Hindutva through songs, poems and books. The world of these H-pop stars and their belief in the ideology is both fascinating as well as ominous. Purohit has done a stellar job of writing an incredibly entertaining book with impeccable research and nuance. I highly recommend it to readers interested in the cultural and political saffronisation of India.

I do feel the prose could have been better written or edited. This is however, a very minor critique and by no means affects the reading experience in any significant way.

[Chythan · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Jyotsna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating - 4.7 stars
NPS - 10 (Promoter)

Kamal urgently wants to rewrite history in a way that benefits Hindu nationalist. He does this by reinventing the past and casting glorious events that painted Hindu nationalist in a poor light by putting historical figures against each other and urging his audience to discard who were critical of Hindu nationalism.

A brave, investigative book into the lives of three people - a singer, a poet and a content creator - who are the voices of the Hindutva and its perils.

It’s an eye opening read about how spoken art is changing the way people are looking at religion among today’s state of affairs.

It’s a triggering read but an important one.

[Sneha Divakaran · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intriguing. Well written. Even though the topic is disturbing, the writer is not overly pessimistic or scaremongering. It’s no secret that hatred sells. Poetry, art, pop-culture are therefore a vehicle of hatred too. These pop-stars are famous, famous, famous now. But for how long, remains to be seen.

[Aamna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enlightening.

[Vivek · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hooter: An essay on 3 different artistes in Hindi belt riding the Hindutva wave.

I am not sure if it is secretive or a bigger gameplan at large, the author takes a unique angle of covering the current political climate by capturing the story of 3 artistes who have pivoted to catering to the needs of the Hindutva audiences with catchy songs, poems and books that earn them a sizeable side income apart from the clout and the micro celeb status they owe to this movement.

From Kavi Singh's singing, Kamal Agneya's poetry to Sandeep Deo's publications, Kunal does provide a simple essay on each one's journey and challenges they face/ faced and how they aligned to the political climate and patronage that all artistes through centuries have looked for.

Whilst an innovative take on a sub-altern culture I am far removed from, I felt an article could have summarised the novelty of this take from my perspective.

[Rupinder · Rating 4 out of 5]

A meticulously researched book based on first-hand reporting of how a new generation of artists is shaping the spread of Hindutva in 21st century India. The author follows three such artists closely to understand their ideology and motivations. The effects of this slow and insidious radicalisation of Indian Hindus will be far-reaching and ominous. This is a disturbing but essential read, especially if you care about the idea of a secular, democratic, and inclusive India.

[Jagruti · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pros- it covers a very interesting topic and is able to provide a snapshot into H pop. It is also easy to read and accessible.
Cons- The author has provided the example of three artists of the genre, and enumerated on their life stories and motivations behind their art. I believe this is a somewhat limiting approach, that doesn't fully capture the genre, what led to it, the mechanisms that enable it to flourish, and its reach. The choice of the artists also seemed arbitrary. I would have loved to read accounts of artists, audience members, political parties, promoters and varied stakeholders. I believe that the book had the potential to be so much more comprehensive and useful than it was.

[Avi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting read

[Ketan D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well written book which is devoid of any judgement on the subjects. It very astutely takes a dive into the sinister world of Hindu nationalism and the grassroots level players that the general masses may simply not notice. It examines the harm they are causing to the social fabric of the country.

[shiv · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great subject, but written like it’s a college assignment. The prose feels flat, the characters while being very interesting aren’t portrayed so.

[HSB · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the heavy metal microcosm that I inhabit, NSBM or national socialist black metal became a huge cause celebre through the last decade. Opinion was divided between those who found it conceptually repulsive, the "I find it conceptually repulsive but the riffs bruh!" faction, and a thankfully tiny bunch of edgelords who liked it primarily for ideological reasons.

This storm in a shotglass or thimble raged on for years and at the end, acquaintances were sundered, enmities deepened and maybe even a friendship or two lost irrevocably.

It turns out we were all missing the Hate Forest for the trees because hate music sharply attuned to a distinctly Indian ethos was flourishing under our noses all the while. Except since it was the heavily auto-tuned folk pop set to rousing if simplistic beats - scoring massive views on the back of blatant Islamophobia - it was at a far remove from our admittedly affected concerns on whether Minenwefer were actual Nazis or just history buffs with questionable aesthetics.

Through the course of the book, author Kunal Purohit meets three individuals at the vanguard of the ongoing project to turn India into a theological autocracy - singer Kavi; Hindutva poet Kamal, and publisher Sandeep.

Purohit tries to maintain an authorial detachment from his subjects and while clearly distinguishing his own views from their frequently ill informed diatribes, does so without much judgment or censure.

But to anyone who craves a pluralistic multi-cultural society, his subjects bring with them a rush of horror and repugnance - akin to squeezing a centipede out of a tube of toothpaste. These are people with a profound hatred for their fellow citizens - far more than what can reasonably be expected of the average citizen of even a hostile nation - and enough of a knack for the grift to monetise this hatred in a number of ways.

While an essential read, there is no time reading this book won't depress you - or elate you, if you happen to be a bigot. But reading it plumb in the middle of the most polarised, religion focused general election in Indian history, was an experience I found particularly disheartening.

One can clearly see that a widespread radicalisation has already occurred - reflected in the current clutch of election speeches. This book helps give you a long view - an idea of how the "talking points" that keep cropping up in speeches by leaders and on social media, have been relentlessly seeded for the last half decade, making their way insidiously into song, verse, and a multiplicity of new and old media models -from online podcasts to books.

If anything, the people Purohit speaks to are chafing at the leash of even tokenistic nods to a pluralistic society and eager to be done with its niceties.

What makes this genuinely tragic is at least one of the 'artists' that Purohit meets has had life experiences that one would have assumed would form an effective bulwark against bigotry. But then there's also the realisation that monetising bigotry is extremely lucrative. The book does a great job of documenting the success the artist attains once she taps the vein of ancient communal fissures, after her more secular material lands to a lukewarm reception.

This is book makes all talk of imminent change in the Indian dispensation seem hollow and unreal. Governments come and go, but the changed mindset of millions of Indians will remain. And the fires of communal hatred will continue to be fueled by people nursing civilisational grievances so deep, in an economic climate so desperate that making bank from peddling hate becomes one of the few available dream jobs for people with no discernible skills or monetisable talents - one that they enjoy so much, it doesn't feel like work at all.

[Sumallya Mukhopadhyay · Rating 5 out of 5]

H-Pop: The Secretive World of Hindutva Popstars
Kunal Purohit

This is a challenging book to read, as it explores a subject that is essentially propaganda masquerading as popular culture. The book’s author, Kunal Purohit, has conducted extensive fieldwork in north and central India to explore poems, music, and books that function as cultural products in disseminating the Hindu Right’s ideology. The subjects are three individuals - Kavi Singh, Kamal Agney, and Sandeep Deo. Each section of the book focuses on the life of these individuals and showcases artistic expressions, devoid of aesthetic appeal, that are mindlessly propagated and consumed to foment hate against minorities, especially Muslims in India.

In the first section, readers are introduced to Kavi Singh. As a twenty-five years old, Kavi has recorded over eighty songs, some of which have attained a special place in the Hindutva ecosystem. She rose to fame in 2019 when her song on the Pulwama terror attack became viral. The composition of the song is such that it squarely blames the local Kashmiri Muslims for the attack. Interestingly, in the aftermath of the unfortunate incident at Pulwama, Kashmiri Muslims all over India were systematically rounded up and evicted from localities as well as colleges. In a way, many did what Kavi’s song had insinuated. While the songs Kavi sang had an insidious tone, she also recorded videos and uploaded them to YouTube. The performative element leads to an emotional mobilisation that elevates Kavi’s status as a ‘star’.

The second section of the book offers a nuanced take on the performative aspects of popular culture by examining the figure of Kamal Agney. Kamal is a poet. He performs in poetry sessions where he conjures up a historic Hindu past, spreads Islamophobia and scathingly attacks those who are critical of the government. Unlike Kavi, Kamal meets the people who listen to his poems. He also employs social media websites to popularise his poems. By interspersing what he calls art with the digital realm, his presence testifies to his ability to strike a chord with those who believe in his ideology. As a result, Kamal gets invited to speak for politicians during rallies held in various places in India.

In the third part of the book, Purohit shifts his attention from performance to publication. Sandeep Deo has his own publishing house, called ‘Kapot’, which lists over 2,200 titles. Along with his brother, Amardeep, Sandeep also runs an e-commerce website that sells books and everyday household items garbed as ‘swadeshi’ products. He also records videos, often taking questions from viewers regarding the Hindu religion, the Hindu Rashtra, and the present government. At times, he expresses his discomfort with the government, as he feels that the leaders compromise on Hindutva ideals to cement their position. He aspires to replace the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party with his own party of Hindu warriors, well-versed in both shastra (Vedic knowledge) and shastra (weaponry).

The research for the book is primarily done in a conversational manner with the three figures that Purohit pursues. By providing commentary on the cultural aspects of the Hindutva ecosystem, Purohit not only exposes its ideological underpinnings but also depicts the affective dimension of the artistic production of music, poetry, and books that mould the minds of people who are sceptical of the presence of minorities in their vicinity.

[Rohit Tandekar · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd attended a talk by the author at an event in Kala Ghoda in Mumbai and was intrigued since then. Finally having bought the book, I set down to read and complete this over an extended weekend.

H-Pop is scary and real, the book establishes as much. It could have done a better job at zooming out of the three personalities that the book is focused on to more generalised stats, events, personalities etc. But it chose to stick to the 3 so-called flagbearers of H-Pop (as chosen by the author, not by some scientific method - seems random). Which brings me to the 3 personalities.

Kavi Singh is a singer, Kamal Agney is a poet and Sandeep Deo is a journalist/author/entrepreneur. All 3 have conviction in the Hindutva cause and wholeheartedly do their bit to spread Sanatani Dharma - while also propagating hatred and fear of other religions. They believe India is a land only for Hindus and would like to see this change happen at the earliest by arousing the masses with thinly-veiled entertainment. When you're humming a tune from Kavi's song, reciting inflammatory words by Kamal or buying a "religious" book from Sandeep's website - you inadvertently buy into their propaganda and become a part of Hindutva popular culture, hence H-Pop.

The book talks about something important, is short and a page turner. The pros end there. Even for someone like me who's anti-establishment currently, I found certain linkages alleged to the ruling party as a stretch of imagination. There was no solid proof provided to say if this was a party-sponsored mechanism or case of a few rotten apples. It was also not helpful that the 3 characters that the author chose don't really stand out - they don't have the most following or views, their content is significantly toned down in recent times/hidden amongst other material online and there's no references mentioned on each page. Which makes it difficult to buy into the author's fears and get committed to the message the book is selling.

All in all, an okayish book. Could have skipped buying this one.

[Tosh Toshniwal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though seemingly limited in its breadth by profiling only one character each for the three sections, the book certainly flags very real issues and the way these are shaping contemporary India with a fear of not easily repairable damage. The situation is effortlessly verifiable, in my own experience also, by the forwards that land in the inboxes. As rightly pointed out, the almost free access to data in India is causing more harm than good and it may be by design for meeting political ends apart from the corporate interference. The low education levels or illiteracy in most such affected parts of India which cover a large geographic area and therefore politically exploitable, and the daily fight of the large economically weaker citizenry for earning day’s bread make them endlessly be on mobile in whatever available free time for information seeking and entertainment delivered in their language. They rely on all such dissemination and this information is “true” for them. On top, the so-called educated society in a large number has also lost interest in curiosity and probe. They also love to seek their fill from the social media or channels or websites on the Internet and are hardly inclined to read beyond a few newspapers or online articles. Religion is faith and the faith many times may be blind to curiosity, questioning, reasoning, explanation, rationale. The religion is effectively merged with politics in India in last decade for ideological purposes by igniting the ages old religion-based biases, mostly found unsubstantiated or even false, buried dormant in society and this is constantly widening the fissures in social fabric and harmony. This all is being paddled through the three mediums the book flags and that is obviously intentional and is extremely disturbing because it goes beyond religion to altering the constitutional and governing structure of India itself. The book is worth reading and should be noted.

[Shreya · Rating 4 out of 5]

The BJP's propaganda game has always caught my fascination. Their well-oiled IT machinery and digital penetration in the country has made it easier for them to propagate their ideology far and wide. As a result, whether its during a religious procession, a festive occasion, a political rally, or now the reels on Instagram - it seems like culture promoting 'Hindutva' is everywhere. While the Hindutva pop culture exists far and deep, rarely do people understand its ramifications. However, Kunal Purohit's book 'Hindutva pop stars' looks at this unexplored research area with fine reportage.

The book details the rise and the hiccups in the journey of three Hindutva pop stars - Kavi Singh - a singer, Kamal Agneya - a poet, and Sundeep Deo a publisher. They mostly work independently of any Hindutva organisation. However, all are part of the growing Hindutva ecosystem. Their stories show how the BJP and its philosophy has become so ingrained in the heart of India.

Purohit's writing is simple and he presents the stories of the three pop stars in an engaging manner ensuring that all readers can grasp the significance of their work and the changing cultural dynamics. Instead of taking a hard stand against the hate culture, Purohit merely presents facts and leaves it to the reader to form their own opinions.

This Hindutva pop culture and hate music trend is dangerous as it demands the othering of Muslims and is a challenge to India's pluralistic ethos. While there is no clarity on how to combat it, the book is a conversation opener. This book, as rightly summarised in the blurb, presents “the frightening face of new India- one that is united by hate, divided by art.”

[Rahul Vishnoi · Rating 5 out of 5]

-Documenting Hate is a Kindness Too-
Review of H Pop
🖋️📖

H-Pop by Kunal Purohit is a timely, well-researched account of hate music
spreading through the hinterlands of Northern India, stoking communal hatred and underlining the otherness of Muslims.

Tension has been simmering between the majority (Hindus) and the primary minority religious group (Muslims) of India since before independence. Various riots that have broken out at different periods are a testament to this simmering discontent. Both sides have suffered enormous losses of lives and means of earnings, with attacks on both homes and businesses. But what is more disturbing is the growing acceptance of such attacks and the normalising alienation of the primary minority of India. It is this normalizing that Kunal Purohit examined and dissected patiently over more than three years.
Can a song trigger a murder? Can a poem spark a riot? Can a book divide people? These are the questions Purohit asks and answers. The book begins with a horrendous lynching in Jharkhand where Kunal Purohit, an award-winning, independent journalist is covering a story.
A Hindu procession—as soon as it reaches a mosque where Muslim representatives in a traditional show of inter-religious bonhomie had been waiting to welcome it—turns violent with blaring of inflammatory anti-muslim music from the loudspeakers. It almost led to a riot which was averted with help from police. Later that day, some people from the procession lynched a Muslim man who was seen with a Hindu woman. When this lynching occurred, Purohit was in town. It affected him deeply, leading to the genesis of this book.

[Sarandeep Khurana · Rating 5 out of 5]

एक बहुत ही अच्छी किताब जो की हमारे जीते हुए सत्य को दर्शाती है। तीन लोगों (एक कवि, एक गायिका, एक पत्रकार) के जीवन को करीबी से दिखाती है जिनकी सारी कला हिंदुत्व के मुद्दे (एजेंडा या प्रोपेगंडा ज़्यादा सही शब्दावली होगी) पर समर्पित है। जिस कदर का समर्थन ऐसे कलाकारों (क्या इन्हें कलाकार कहना भी सहीं होगा?) को मिल रहा है, गहन चिंतन करने में मजबूर कर देता है।
किताब का अंत इस पंक्ति के साथ हुआ है। -
“Yet, as we have seen, no recognized political leader is identified with any of these movements. Instead, mobilization of masses and execution of violence are now outsourced to non-state actors, seemingly independent but tied with an invisible umbilical cord to the Hindu right.
The role of propaganda will become even more crucial, and so will the role of cheerleaders.
Grimmer days are upon us.”

[Amrita · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was like reading a re-contextualised Indian version of that one chapter in 9th standard history about how the Third Reich masterfully utilised the media and propaganda to do what it did. It's never a regime that alone corrodes the status quo of societies. The role of people and the media is just as, if not more, critical to the proliferation of ideas. Social media's role in the said proliferation is especially interesting, which has been examined thoroughly in this book. Essential reading, 5/5.

[Gurpreet Singh · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded to 4 stars.
Based on lives of Kavi Singh, Kamal Agney and Sandeep Deo who are working for strengthening Hindutva cause by producing songs, poetry and book publishing respectively. One of the main achievements of this book is the ability to weave all links together and produce a clear picture of well oiled machinery of spreading Hindutva ideology which steadily creates societal acceptability of extremism. In words of Aakar Patel “This vital work shows us the faces and makes us hear the voices of those on frontline of war this nation is waging against itself.”

[Gopal MS · Rating 5 out of 5]

In 2023, a year before the general election, this is a must-read to try and understand the world of Hindi/Hindutva fans and their worldview. The book is about the pawns, the footsoldiers in the fight for the hearts and souls of the people in the Hindi heartland for caste-supremacist Hindutva ideology, using music, poetry, the written world and most of all, the YouTube platform from Google, all of it directed around the electoral process in India.

[Bindesh Dahal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elegantly written, this book shows the thought patterns of Hindutva warriors battling with their demons both internal and external. Three emblematic Hindutva figures are employing different media to glorify the Hindu cause while othering the Muslims (and Christians) in India. Such is the passion for militant Hinduism in these characters that they are dissatisfied (disillusioned, too) with Modi and expect Yogi Adityanath to be their saviour. Paints a rather scary picture of the future of India.

[Prasad GR · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kunal Purohit's journey through this rabbit hole of Hindutva machinery is a definite eye-opener. The inner workings of this machine and the incentives of the players involved are so well aligned, that the opposition has a fat chance of ever surmounting the odds. A sense of despair is inevitable when one understands how this ecosystem thrives on hate mongering by rewriting history and creating fake narratives.

[Ingrid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three chilling cases which exemplify the mutually rewarding relationships between creators of popular content — in music, poetry and publishing — and the industrial scale manufacture of hate speech by right-wing Hindutva forces in India. Kunal Purohit delves into the lives, dreams, and struggles of aspiring stars who are part of the complex ecosystem, often invisible to urban elites, that shapes an anti-minority narrative and fuels fear, hostility, and violence that benefits right-wing politics. Indians who care about secular democracy would do well to read this book and pay heed to its lessons.

[Apratim Mukherjee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the rare books which touches upon the lives of foot soldiers of polarization in Indian society.How the 'supreme leader' and his party have tried the communal formula and people are profiting off it has been well described by the author.In our society,you would find many Kavis,Kamals and Sandeeps,but not many Kunal Purohits.For someone who is getting alienated in the surroundings around him because of his moderate beliefs,I think this is the right book for you.

[Nimisha · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book could have been a news report or magazine article. It seemed as though the author was compelled to stretch it to 250 pages, often repeating the same points without offering any real insight or clarifying his own positionality. The topic had so much potential, but the execution fell flat. Also, the title felt misleading — only the first subject was a pop star; the rest weren’t even musicians.

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

super interesting look at Hindu national pop music and it’s impact on inciting anti-muslim violence in India, capitalizing on other nationalist movements and social media. As a person who knew very little about the topic, some of the content went over my head but that’s on me, not the author. Very much started a wikipedia spiral at work.

[Delson Roche · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very well researched and we'll presented book. The writing is very easy to read and the book hard to put down. The story telling is very well done too.
The topic is something very unique- Right wing music, poetry and publishing and the vitriol they spew.
A must read for any Indian.