"The Accidental Prime Minister" and "Uri - The Surgical Strike", which have begun Bollywood's 2019 calendar, have been branded "propaganda films" by a cross-section of people. Filmmaker Prakash Jha, who has dabbled in politics himself, says propaganda films can work only if the story strikes a chord with the audience.

The pre-election release of both the films triggered a debate on political propaganda via showbiz. Jha, who has made films like "Gangaajal", "Apaharan", "Raajneeti", "Aarakshan" and "Satyagraha" -- which have delved upon socio-political issues, told IANS in an interview here: "You can have a propaganda film. It will work if the story is working and if the story is working, then it is a valid film... why not?"