Director: Amrit Nahata; Writer: Shivendra Sinha, Rakesh; Cast: Utpal Dutt, Shabana Azmi, Chaman Bagga, Raj Babbar, Surekha Sikri, Dinanath, Rajeshwar Nath, Master Champalal, Raj Kiran, Katy Mirza, Manohar Singh, Swapna Sundari
Duration: 02:15:17; Aspect Ratio: 1.333:1; Hue: 14.606; Saturation: 0.118; Lightness: 0.448; Volume: 0.217; Cuts per Minute: 10.474
Summary: Gross political satire renowned mainly as a censorship scandal during the Emergency. The original version of the film attacking Indira Gandhi’s rule was apparently destroyed by Sanjay Gandhi’s men. Its fate was later linked to the Turkman Gate carnage in Delhi as examples of the authoritarianism of the regime. Nahata remade the film after the Emergency was lifted. The film has its villainous politician (Dutt) mouthing flowery rhetoric, usually addressing a character who stands for ‘the people’, Janata (Azmi). After several allusions to the Emergency, the politician rapes Janata. Nahata, who introduced the remake, later joined the Congress Party and disowned the film - Encyclopaedia of Indian Cinema
Elections are soon to be held in Jan Gan, and the two main rivals are Bhikharimal and Garibdas, who are contesting under their symbols of a horse and a cycle. Then Meera and Gopal recruit a poor male, Gangaram, who assists his employer to sell fake herbs and medicines, including a birth-control pill 'Sanjay Sanjeevni', to stand for elections. Armed with a tonic-shot of Netagiri; a pill for Revolution; and a needle-shot of Socialism, Gangaram competes to be the next president with a symbol of a car. Meera then bribes the two main competitors and gets them to withdraw from the race, thus ensuring an easy win for Gangaram, who is then elected President. On his very first day, Gangaram learns that it is more practical to worship his Kursee, as well as listen to it's 8 Dictums. Then he decides to live it up during the daytime, and sleep with his busty Personal Secretary, Ruby Dixsana, at night. He then sets about to woo a dumb and naive woman, ironically named Janta (Public), and then proceeds to ignore her. He decides to eliminate hunger by first offering a reward to kill mice and rats, but when opposed by Bhajneesh, decides to ban killing any rodent. He then makes a deal with an international Caucasian male, Double Dealer, to export and import fictitious dogs and cats. When issues are not addressed, corruption increases tenfold, he decides to distract everyone's mind by declaring war on the neighboring country, Andher Nagri. After the war, he faces more opposition, and decides to declare an Emergency, arresting all opponents, curbing freedom of the media, as well as the Courts, and is all set to declare himself the permanent President of this beleaguered nation.
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