Is Game Changer based on TN Seshan’s life?

Game Changer stars Ram Charan as Ram Nandan, an IAS who is appointed as a district collector and tussles with powerful politicians. Director Shankar has been cagey about whether the film is based on real people like TN Seshan. However, while promoting the film, the film’s antagonist, SJ Suryah, said, “Karthik Subbaraj’s outline is based on a real-life incident of a Madurai collector. The story is about a war between a politician and a collector and is based on a real incident that Shankar adapted for screen on a grand scale.” TN Seshan was the collector of Madurai early in his career, and his reforms there led to his appointment as the Chief Election Commissioner in the 90s. The film can be called inspired by Seshan’s life and exploits, but it is largely fictional, with parallels drawn to what Seshan achieved in his tenure as India’s CEC.

Who was TN Seshan?

TN Seshan was born in 1933 in Tamil Nadu (then Madras Presidency). He cleared the Madras police service in 1953 but did not join; instead, he cleared the UPSC civil services examination in 1954. He was appointed an IAS officer as a trainee of the 1955 Tamil Nadu cadre. After working his way up as a collector in various districts, he worked as secretary to the Atomic Energy Commission, joint secretary at the Department of Space, secretary of the Ministry of Environment and Forests, and eventually the Cabinet Secretary, the senior-most position in the Indian civil service hierarchy.

He locked horns with senior politicians and governments several times during his tenure. In the 1970s, when he was TN secretary of industries and agriculture, he had differences with the then CM, following which he resigned. Similarly, as the secretary of the Ministry of Environment and Forests, he opposed the central government’s plans to build the Tehri Dam and Sardar Sarovar Dam. Game Changer draws several incidents from Seshan’s life, including the protagonist choosing IAS over police service and being at loggerheads with elected officials.

How TN Seshan cleaned up the Indian election system

TN Seshan served as India’s Chief Election Commissioner from 1990-96. He was instrumental in establishing a structure for the Indian elections and was best known for his wide-reaching electoral reforms. He curbed several malpractices like bribing or intimidating voters, distribution of liquor during elections, use of government funds and machinery for campaigning, appealing to voters’ caste or communal feelings, use of places of worship for campaigns, use of loudspeakers and high-volume music without prior written permission. Seshan also introduced the election code of conduct, Voter IDs, and limited election expenditure. In 1992, his Election Commission boldly cancelled Assembly elections in Bihar and Punjab due to electoral issues. During his tenure, Seshan reviewed over 40,000 expenditure accounts and disqualified 14,000 candidates for false information. He was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Prize in 1996 for his electoral reforms.

TN Seshan retired as the CEC in 1996. In 1997, he unsuccessfully contested the Presidential election, losing to KR Narayanan. He then contested in the 1999 Lok Sabha election on a Congress ticket from Gandhinagar but lost to BJP veteran LK Advani. Seshan retired from public life after that, teaching leadership at the Great Lakes Institute of Management in Chennai and later at the LBSNAA, Mussoorie. He died at his home in Chennai in 2019. He was 86.

Game Changer, directed by Shankar, stars Ram Charan, along with Kiara Advani and SJ Suryah. The pan-India film released nationwide on January 10, ahead of the Sankranthi holiday week.