Roy Kapur Films (RKF), in collaboration with Trickitainment Media, has announced an exciting new project: a biopic on ‘Sukumar Sen’, India’s first Chief Election Commissioner.

The announcement comes on the eve of India’s 18th general elections counting day, a fitting tribute to the man who orchestrated the country’s first general elections in 1951-52, PTI reported.

Sukumar Sen, a mathematician and civil servant, played a pivotal role in transitioning India from a British colony to a democratic republic. Tasked with organizing the world’s largest democratic exercise, Sen managed an electorate of 175 million people spread across 565 princely kingdoms and newly formed states. His efforts resulted in a remarkable 60% voter turnout, solidifying India’s democratic foundation.

The logistics of the first general election were daunting. Some 224,000 polling booths were constructed, equipped with two million steel ballot boxes. Additionally, 16,500 clerks were appointed on six-month contracts to type and collate electoral rolls by constituency, 56,000 presiding officers were chosen to supervise the voting, aided by another 280,000 helpers, and 224,000 policemen were put on duty to guard against violence and intimidation. Sen’s ingenuity was evident in every detail, from constructing bridges in remote hill villages to using naval vessels to transport electoral rolls to small islands in the Indian Ocean.

Siddharth Roy Kapur, founder of RKF, expressed his excitement about the project, “We are so honored 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 identifying political parties by symbols and colors to using indelible ink on fingernails to prevent voter impersonation, his innovations are still in use today. His contribution to our democratic process deserves to be celebrated.”

Sen’s grandsons, Sanjiv Sen and Debdatta Sen, have also expressed their support for the biopic. Sanjiv Sen stated, “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 for laying the bedrock for this vibrant electoral process must go to Sukumar Sen, my grandfather and the first CEC of independent India. I wish the producers all the success in portraying the untold story of an unsung hero of this great nation.” Debdatta Sen added, “This is a laudable effort to make the people of our country aware of a remarkable person and his achievements.”

While it has not yet been decided whether the biopic will be a film or a series, the director and cast are currently being finalized. Following the success of the SonyLIV series ‘Rocket Boys,’ RKF aims to bring another compelling and historically significant story to the screen, showcasing the ambition and audacity of Sukumar Sen’s work.