PLAYING THE NETA

AS ELECTION SEASON DRAWS NEAR, CINEMA BECOMES A VEHICLE TO SHOWCASE POLITICAL ICONS AS EITHER HEROES OR VILLAINS

- SUHANI SINGH

In 2019, just a few months before the Lok Sabha election, came two political dramas. The first, The Accidental Prime Minister, based on Sanjaya Baru's book of the same name, offered the portrait of a Prime Minister Manmohan Singh (Anupam Kher) subservient to the Gandhis. The second, PM Narendra Modi (Vivek Oberoi), was a poorly made hagiography. Both were duds at the box office. Four years later, with elections just a year away, audiences can expect an onslaught of political films likely to generate as much conversation as controversy.

Of these, two will feature portrayals of India's own Iron Lady, Indira Gandhi. The first, Emergency (release date to be announced), has Kangana Ranaut producing, directing and acting in the film. In the second, the Meghna Gulzar-directed Sam Bahadur, starring Vicky Kaushal as Field Marshall Sam Maneckshaw; Fatima Sana Sheikh plays PM Indira Gandhi. Even Vidya Balan is said to be eager to play Mrs Gandhi, albeit in a web series. In December, in time for Atal Bihari Vajpayee's birthday, will be Main Atal Hoon, a biopic with Pankaj Tripathi playing the poet prime minister. But the one that the opposition, particularly the Congress, will be watching with eagle eyes is SwatantraVeer Savarkar, co-written and directed by Randeep Hooda, who also plays the titular role. Also, the second instalment of Vivek Agnihotri's "Files" series, focusing this time on the gruesome anti-Sikh riots of 1984, after the right-leaning filmmaker's The Kashmir Files stirred controversy and the cash tills.

That all the films arrive in the latter half of 2023 and early 2024 when election fever will be at its peak isn't coincidental. The Kashmir Files made Rs 246 crore against an estimated budget of Rs 25 crore, convincing creators that it pays to bet on politics.