RSS Woos Bollywood: Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Rampal Videos May be the First but They Won't Be the Last

“There is nothing abrupt about the Sangh's scheme of things. A number of Bollywood actors shed their hesitation and political reservation to come forth and release videos to laud its role—the groundwork of which has been laid meticulously for several years," a senior Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) functionary told The Quint upon request for anonymity. To mark the RSS' centenary celebrations, actor Sanjay Dutt sank the hearts of many an RSS critic in joining many of his colleagues from Bollywood to praise the organisation for its “role in nation-building.” A similar video was released by Arjun Rampal.The RSS functionary recalled to The Quint that a number of actors had been invited for the inauguration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.“All those who were invited turned up for the temple inauguration, barring only a few who had medical issues.”RSS functionaryAs the RSS expands its scope of activities in its 100th year, it has revealed its aim to play a pivotal role in shaping India’s socio-cultural identity. On Vijayadashami, the RSS sent out a loud message that the Nagpur-headquartered organisation is not “shy of engaging with the world”, and directly connecting with the audience. It's also part of a longer game to attract more mainstream, non-political attention.Mohan Bhagwat's Vijayadashami Speech Marks a ‘Global’ Shift in the RSS PlaybookThe RSS has three arms to build contact with film personalities and other cultural icons and help the organisation in gaining "mainstream" acceptance.“The RSS cultivates relations with cultural icons, including film personalities, through its three arms—Sanskar Bharti, Sampark Vibhag, and Prachar Vibhag. The Prant Pramukh (or the regional head) of the RSS at cultural centres such as Mumbai are also part of its outreach to build relations with icons,” said another senior RSS functionary who has dealt with film stars in the past.RSS @ 100: The Sangh Must Undo BJP's Political Hindutva to SurviveAs part of the specially curated programme for the centenary year, RSS Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat will also wrap up his vyakhyan (lecture) series—which began from the Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi—in Mumbai next year, in a subtle message that the organisation is seeking to increase its influence in India’s cultural capital.Bhagwat will be in Mumbai on 7-8 February 2026 for the two-day lecture series. According to RSS insiders, the Mumbai event, which is being meticulously planned, will reveal a major turnaround of film stars.In between, Bhagwat will also touch down at Bengaluru, India’s tech hub, and Kolkata, an ideological nerve centre that the RSS seeks out.Bhagwat will be in Bengaluru on 8-9 November, and in Kolkata on 21 November. Bhagwat’s vyakhyan series was launched by the RSS a month ahead of the Vijayadashami celebrations to engage audiences outside the periphery of the influence of the organisation. “The lecture series aims at an assertive articulation of the RSS viewpoints on subjects of the public interest, including politics. This series should permanently rest claims that the RSS is a secretive organisation. Venues have been specially chosen for their respective significance,” said another senior RSS functionary.Bhagwat's New Delhi lecture was attended by a number of diplomats of the foreign missions. Bhagwat dwelt upon political issues even as he lifted the curtain of speculations on age ceiling in holding offices and posts.The RSS claims that IT professionals have emerged as a highly enthusiastic class of participants in the daily shakha (branch) meets of the organisation. The RSS has held its annual national executive meetings in Hyderabad and Bengaluru in recent years.“No section of the society is untouched from the influence of the RSS. The film stars grab headlines and attention when they release videos in praise of the RSS. But we have also made significant inroads in the tech world, which is not much known to the people.”An RSS functionaryMahmood Madani on RSS, Muslim Politics, and Misuse of ‘Jihad’The RSS has long made inroads, now visible, into the art world, particularly the film industry. The RSS' labour union, Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), is known to have a strong following among the workers in the film industry. “The leading lights of Bollywood have been in direct samvad (discourse) with our functionaries for several years. Now they have gained a sense that they can speak in favour of the RSS with adversarial consequences to their respective careers. This has been made possible because of the growing familiarity of the people with the works of the RSS, something we seek to further intensify in the coming years,” another senior RSS functionary said.The RSS insiders argued that the organisation is seeking more visibility and “dialogue” with audiences in different cities to accelerate desirable social changes “even without the help of the political class.”“The vision of a Hindu Rashtra as expounded by the Sarsanghchalak—with its thrust that all Indians who accord priority to the nation are Hindus irrespective of their respective religions—can be realised only with the help of the people. The RSS seeks speed in achieving goals for which socio-cultural icons need to speak assertively and openly,” added the RSS functionary.In Bhagwat, the RSS leaders believe that the organisation has an orator who can influence and impact the opinion makers. Bhagwat meets such a target audience for close-door meetings on a regular basis in which he speaks his mind while encouraging all kinds of questions from the participants.“The people need not identify the RSS through 33 of its affiliates, including the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). They are engaged in specific works. The RSS will directly communicate with the people. We will be more visible to assert our role in shaping the identity of the nation,” said the RSS functionary.More Bollywood engagement can thus be expected in the coming days. (The author is a senior Delhi-based journalist with over two decades of political journalism spent in tracking the BJP, the RSS, and Parliament.)

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