Saif Ali Khan and Netflix India are calling for a hatrick. Peepingmoon.com has exclusively learned that Saif has signed on for the global streaming giant's next high-profile movie based on India's First Election.
Saif will star alongside Pratik Gandhi and Deepak Dobriyal in this yet-untitled project, set to be directed by Rahul Dholakia, who's popularly known for directing Shah Rukh Khan’s Raees. Nikkhil Advani, who recently directed the historical drama series Freedom At Midnight (SonyLIV), will go back in time again to produce this film under his Emmay Entertainment banner. The movie is currently in pre-production and will get off the ground around April-May 2025.
The Netflix Original will narrate the saga of India's First General Election, conducted between October 25, 1951, and February 21, 1952, marking the beginning of democratic governance in the newly independent India. Conducting elections posed a significant challenge, as neither the government nor the people had prior experience with the electoral process. The Election Commission embarked on a massive door-to-door campaign to register eligible voters and assigned symbols to political parties to help voters identify their choices easily. Innovative methods were employed to ensure voting accessibility, even in remote areas. Despite the hurdles, a significant 45.7% of the eligible population voted for 1,874 candidates from 53 parties contesting for 489 seats. The Indian National Congress won a thumping majority with 364 seats, paving the way for Jawaharlal Nehru to become India's first democratically elected Prime Minister.
Saif Ali Khan will play the role of Sukumar Sen, the first Chief Election Commissioner of India. It was under his leadership that the Election Commission successfully administered and oversaw the independent India's first two general elections (1951–52 and 1957) with notable precision and fairness. Sen, an Indian Civil Services (ICS) officer and an accomplished mathematician, meticulously planned and oversaw the elections alongside two Regional Election Commissioners and a Chief Election Officer for each state. Sen and his core team—all ICS officers—used their experience of handling elections in British India to good effect to pull off one of the most outstanding success stories ever as far as elections are concerned.
Rahul Dholakia has been researching this subject for years and aims to bring this pivotal moment in Indian history to the screen with historical accuracy. The preparation for the film is already underway, and the director will fully immerse himself in the project after the release of his upcoming firefighter drama, Agni, which premieres on Amazon Prime Video on December 6. This marks Saif's first collaboration with Dholakia since their earlier attempt with Agni fell through due to scheduling conflicts.
This film also marks Saif’s third collaboration with Netflix India, following the unprecedented success of the streamer’s breakthrough series Sacred Games and the forthcoming Siddharth Anand production, Jewel Thief: The Red Sun Chapter. The latter is currently in production and will premiere sometime in mid-2025. In the lineup ahead, Saif has an investigative drama, Kartavya with Red Chillies Entertainment, and the fourth installment of his popular Race movie franchise.
