Roy Kapur Films and Trickitainment Media have acquired the rights to produce a biopic on Sukumar Sen, India’s First Chief Election Commissioner who oversaw the country’s first general elections in 1951-52, solidifying India’s status as an independent democracy.
He, a brilliant mathematician turned civil servant, played a vital role in India’s shift to democracy from a colonial rule, achieving beyond expectations post-independence through an exceptional electoral system. His main task was to organize the first-ever election in a newly independent nation, successfully completing it within two years of India becoming a republic on January 26, 1950. His efforts resulted in ‘the biggest experiment in democracy in human history’. This significant challenge had never been faced by an Indian official before.
Sukumar Sen faced an immense challenge organizing the world’s largest democratic event in a vast region spanning mountains, deserts, and forests with 175 million voters, mostly illiterate, across diverse terrains and regions, including 565 princely kingdoms and newly formed states. The election involved around 4500 seats, 500 for parliament and the remainder for provincial assemblies.
In a developing nation, 224,000 polling booths were set up with 2 million ballot boxes made of 8200 tonnes of steel; 16,500 clerks were hired to organize electoral rolls by district using 380000 reams of paper and 389,816 phials of ink; 56,000 presiding officers oversaw voting with 280,000 helpers, while 224,000 policemen protected against violence.
In remote areas like hill villages and small islands, various means were utilized to enable voting access, from bridges in villages to naval vessels in the Indian Ocean. Some tribals even brought bows and arrows to booths, achieving high turnout rates. Dedicated citizens trekked through jungles for days to reach booths, camping at night with songs and dances.
After Sukumar Sen and his team’s immense efforts, about 60% of registered voters cast their first-ever vote in India’s groundbreaking First general election, a historic moment for global democracy.
According to the makers, this upcoming biopic honoring Sen’s visionary role in creating the world’s largest electoral process aims to reinvigorate appreciation for the audacity and hard work that established this now ordinary practice.
Expressing his thoughts on the biopic, producer Siddharth Roy Kapur stated, “We are so honoured to bring to life the incredible story of one of our national heroes Sukumar Sen, who played a crucial role in shaping India’s democratic history. From the very system of identifying political parties by different symbols and colours in order to combat illiteracy to coming up with the idea of indelible ink on fingernails to avoid voter impersonation…so many of his innovations are in place even today! His contribution to laying the architecture for our democratic process deserves to be celebrated and we look forward to bringing audiences in India and around the world this thrilling story of our first election and the amazing men behind it.”
Romanchak Arora from Trickitainment Media said, “We firmly believe that Sukumar Sen’s legendary and historically significant story, filled with monumental and dramatic moments, will resonate with all Indian citizens who exercise the right to vote. Told after 73 years, it is a must-see for all generations across the nation.”
Sanjiv Sen, the grandson of Sen, said, “One of India’s greatest successes as a nation has been its successful democracy. The foundation of all democracies is free and fair elections and the credit laying the bedrock for this vibrant electoral process must go to Sukumar Sen, my grandfather and 1st CEC of Independent India. I wish the producers all the success to portray the untold story of an unsung hero of this great nation.”
Debdatta Sen, the second grandson of Sen, added, “I congratulate the producers and wish them all success in their endeavour. This is laudable effort to make the people of our country aware of a remarkable person and his achievements.”
