This fortnight we carry another chapter from D.R. Mankekar's latest book Decline and Fall of Indira Gandhi (published by Vision Books; Price: Rs 30) in which he exposes V.C. Shukla's film connections.

Vidya Charan Shukla's performance at the Planning Ministry was nothing to write home about. He wished he had remained at Defence Production, where there was greater scope for his pushful personality. He, however, met his metier at the Information and Broadcasting Ministry where, following the proclamation of Emergency, Mrs Gandhi sent him over to displace Inder Gujral.

This work was after his heart; plenty of limelight plus the glittering company of film stars, particularly the female of the species. With Emergency conditions, control of the mass media became a task of highest priority, and as he threw his weight about among the spineless newspaper industry and vulnerable personalities of the film world, he discovered he was indeed cut for the role.

With the vulnerable film industry, Shukla played ducks and drakes. It was the love-hate relationship of a despot. He was in his element in the company of glamorous film stars yet if they failed to submit to his fancies he threatened them with MISA.

If a singer refused to play to Shukla's tune, his discs were banned on AIR and TV; if an actress did not submit to his demands, he had her house raided for tax evasion; if a producer failed to provide the desired entertainment, his films got stuck at the censor. Shukla's style was to bluff, bluster, and terrorize to get what he wanted.

When the noted playback singer Kishore Kumar failed to appear at the Youth Congress music show in the capital his songs were banned on radio and TV. Shukla compelled the melody queen Lata Mangeshkar to abandon her principle of not singing at privately sponsored functions. He even wanted her to sing at a youth leader's house. That is where Lata drew the line.

In the film industry as elsewhere Shukla had his henchmen who functioned as intermediaries between Shukla and the industry to strike various deals.

G.P. Sippy, president of the All India Film Producers Council, was a friend and confidant of Shukla. In fact, arrangements for the minister's stay and entertainment during his frequent trips to Bombay were handled by Sippy.

In mid-1975, Sippy asked for permission to export 12 prints of his film Sholay. He said he had signed an agreement with a firm in Piccadilly for exhibition of that film in U.K. and Europe. The Board of Film Censor had raised some objections as the film is full of violence and sex. Shukla ordered that the film be cleared by the Censor Board within 24 hours and the producer given permission to export the prints.

V.C. Shukla with his patron saint, former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi V.C. Shukla with his patron saint, former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi

Following a routine procedure, the officers handling the job sent a telex to the Indian High Commission in London to check the credentials of the London firm who were importing the prints. Next day they got the reply; there was no such firm in Piccadilly, or for that matter, anywhere in the U.K. The officer incharge sent a note about it to the joint secretary concerned, who commended the officer's vigilance and forwarded the note, under his own signature, to the minister.

Next morning the minister asked the joint secretary to proceed on leave. The file was sent back to the officer incharge with a long note from Shukla. The minister said he had checked the facts and was satisfied about the agreement for the export of the film. He reprimanded the officials for causing unnecessary obstructions and ordered immediate clearance of the film.

The resignation of B.K. Karanjia from the chairmanship of the Film Finance Corporation has remained a mystery. Shukla had censored even news reports of the incident. But there is an explanation.

The International Film Festival for non-competitive films was held in Bombay in January 1976 under the auspices of the FFC. Karanjia was the chairman of the managing committee for that festival while Jagat Murari was the director of the festivals at the ministry. On December 23, 1975, Shukla sent his right-hand man in the ministry, secretary S.M.H. Burney, to see that the film industry too was involved in the festival.

At a meeting of the festival committee and representatives of the film industry that day in Bombay, Burney got up to say he was there to ask the film industry to take over the festival. One of the senior film actors remarked that perhaps the secretary desired the industry's moral support and cooperation which they would be happy to extend.

No, replied Burney, it was not a question of moral support and cooperation. He wanted the industry to take over the festival as those handling it had proved incompetent. The director, he said, knew nothing about films or film festivals. On the same table, next to Burney sat B.K. Karanjia and Jagat Murari. They were shocked out of their wits. Burney did not even glance in their direction.

Bombay sexpot Zeenat Aman accused Shukla of making 'amorous demands' Bombay sexpot Zeenat Aman accused Shukla of making 'amorous demands'

When the meeting broke for lunch B.K. Karanjia walked up to Burney and said he did not wish to create a scene at the meeting, but the secretary could have his resignation then and there. Jagat Murari refused to eat his lunch. That was his way of protesting.

Shukla and his minions, who were nick-named "chhote Shuklas" by the flustered officials, played havoc at the Sixth International Film Festival in New Delhi. The ministry and festival directorate had announced that even the ministers would have to buy their tickets for the festival films. No complimentary tickets would be issued. In actual practice, however, no less than a hundred complimentary tickets were issued daily to the minister Shukla's household and secretariat.

It was Shukla's idea to call Sophia Loren to preside over the Festival Jury. The others on his list were Elizabeth Taylor and Brigitte Bardot. Satyajit Ray was invited to head the jury only after Miss Loren declined the invitation.

The press were treated like outcastes at the festival. Out of the 290 odd films screened, only about 40 were shown at press shows, of these 25 were in the competitive section and only 15 in the information section. The press shows started at an unearthly hour, seven in the morning in December-January, and continued non-stop till 11 a.m.

However Shukla and his men failed to acquire a suitable Indian film for entering in the International Festival which the country was hosting. They thought of Mrinal Sen's Mrigaya but Mrinal perferred to send it to a European Festival. Shyam Benegal agreed to enter his Manthan but the minister was annoyed with Benegal over the Nishant entry to the Chicago and London Festivals.

Against Shukla's wishes, Benegal had got Nishant cleared through the Prime Minister's intervention. Though an I & B Ministry officer went to Bombay to view Manthan, he left after seeing half the film and Benegal did not hear any further from Delhi. At one time Shukla thought of entering Sholay. But ultimately the ministry selected a somewhat routine Bombay film, Mausam as the Indian entry.

Bombay movie moghul G.P. Sippy seen with the controversial Candy Bombay movie moghul G.P. Sippy seen with the controversial Candy

The annual function for distribution of National Awards to films and film artistes is an occasion for the I & B Minister to distribute patronage. For the 1976 function Shukla decided to get Hema Malini to dance at the function. When told that she was already booked for that day to perform in Bombay, his reply was: "Get her ... I want her here this is an order."

People at the ministry knew that when Shukla commands a glamour queen it is not easy for her to refuse. Hema came, but on her terms.

The function was not without its scandals. Glamorous actress Zeenat Aman had been asked to compere at the inaugural function. However, at the last minute the officer who was to escort her to the festival venue was sent elsewhere by the minister while Miss Aman waited in her hotel. Ultimately when she came, alone, enraged and late, the function had already begun. She kicked up a row charging the minister with deliberately insulting her because she had "refused to submit to his amorous demands."

Sometime in early 1976, the Oberoi chain of hotels wrote to the minister for Information and Broadcasting requesting for funds to promote tourism in India through expansion of their hotels abroad.

About Rs. 5.2 crores belonging to the Motion Pictures' Export Association of America were lying blocked with the I & B Ministry. The association had agreed to the Indian government's use of these funds. There was a vague understanding that these funds would be utilized for the development of cinema in the country. Now the Oberois wanted these funds to be released for expansion of their hotels abroad. Shukla asked one of the officers to process the proposal at the earliest.

The officer, realizing that big money was involved, referred the matter to the Ministry of Economic Affairs as also the Department of Tourism asking them if the Oberois had approached them also. Both replied in the negative. At the suggestion of the I & B Ministry officer, the Economic Affairs Ministry called a meeting where the Department of Tourism and Oberoi hotels were also represented. When Shukla came to know about it, he scolded his officer for "opening his mouth too wide" and directed him to write to the Economic Affairs Ministry that the I & B Ministry had no objection to the release of the funds to the Oberois.

His multimillion 'Sholay' running in Delhi His multimillion 'Sholay' running in Delhi

The note was duly sent. The puzzled Economic Affairs Ministry officials called another meeting where the I & B Ministry officer was asked about the sudden change in his ministry's stand. The officer explained that earlier his ministry had not thought of commercial utilization of the funds.

But now that a proposal had come, the ministry would consider, after earmarking some money for FFCI, IMPEC and Children's Film Society, releasing the surplus funds to the applicant. The surplus funds came to about Rs.3.5 crores. These funds could be, after some formalities, converted into foreign exchange and utilized abroad.

The I & B Ministry officer later found that the Oberois had spent on their hotels abroad much more than what they had received as loan from the World Bank some years ago. The Reserve Bank was now asking them where they got the extra money in foreign exchange which had been spent by them on their hotels?

This excess amount was to the tune of Rs. 5 crores and the I & B Ministry officer's hunch was that Oberois would utilize the money they were seeking from his ministry to satisfy the Reserve Bank. Thus, he surmised, the Oberois would resist any reduction in the amount. He proved wrong. Oberois agreed to Rs. 3.5 crores offered to them and what was even more surprising, the Economic Affairs Ministry quietly approved the deal. This happened in March 1977.

The officer proved wrong a second time. The Oberois, he found, did not use that money to adjust their accounts to the Reserve Bank's satisfaction. The deal involved certain VIPs and the money found its way to certain banks abroad. The officer's hunch is that the inquiry against Shukla is not unconnected with this deal.

The stars who resisted Shukla's pressures - Amol Palekar (left) and Dev Anand (right) The stars who resisted Shukla's pressures - Amol Palekar (left) and Dev Anand (right)

The taking over of Metro cinema complex in Calcutta was an example of Shukla's bluff and bluster tactics. One fine morning Shukla called one of his officers in the I & B Ministry and ordered him to take over Metro cinema complexes in Bombay and Calcutta. When the bewildered officer asked how "Shukla said, I have studied the matter. Smugglers are involved with these complexes and employees are not paid regularly. So we have a good case."

The officer wanted to know under what rules should he take over these properties. "Forget the rules," replied Shukla, "you will get all the police help you need to do the job." There was no danger of adverse publicity either, the minister added, the press was under strict censorship. A couple of days later, Shukla called the officer again and told him that he had spoken to the chief ministers of Maharashtra and West Bengal and the officer should go to Calcutta and take over the Metro cinema complex there.

The officer was still worried. What would the I & B Ministry do with these commercial cinema houses? Film exhibition or distribution was not one of their functions. How would they run these cinema houses? The minister asked him to consult the Law Ministry. The Law Ministry agreed with the officer. Film exhibition and distribution was not part of the central government's functions. But if your minister desires to take up these functions, remarked the Law Ministry official with tongue in cheek, "he can get the constitution amended."

The I & B Ministry official reported back to Shukla. The minister listened to the proposal and said: "Well then, that is no problem, we will get the constitution amended."

Thanks to the ingenuity of the officer, he saved the constitution. He suggested the Metro could be taken over in the name of FFCI. But the question was how?

In early February, the officer was sent to Calcutta with a clear mandate to take over the Metro complex, if necessary with police help. On arrival in Calcutta the officer found that most of the ministers and top state officials had gone to Delhi. So he met a senior officer in the Information Department and with his help got an overnight notice printed under the Land Acquisition Act. The notice indicated the central government's intention to take over the Metro property.

Bombay's 'dream girl' Hema Malini was another victim of ministerial 'orders' Bombay's 'dream girl' Hema Malini was another victim of ministerial 'orders'

Armed with that document, the next morning he walked into the Metro manager's office. He started by telling the manager that the government knew of the smuggling and such other illegal activities of the Metro management; that the government had decided to act and soon they all would be behind bars. The officer promised mercy to the manager, if he handed over charge of the building and keys etc., to him. The manager saw the acquisition notice and readily complied with the demand.

Within minutes the police was guarding the premises while government staff was called to make an inventory of the property. Booking for shows was suspended and patrons were asked to get refund for tickets already sold. Within a few days the operation was completed and the officer returned with Metro in his pocket.

Shukla's supercilious attitude towards the film people, the language he used, the wanton humiliation he inflicted on them, had turned even his friends in the industry against him. When the elections were announced he commandeered film stars to campaign for the Congress.

But such was the ire of the people against the ruling party that they did not spare even the matinee idols. Two top stars campaigning in UP were shouted down the stage. According to Shatrughan Sinha, Shukla threatened to involve him in the Baroda dynamite case if he did not campaign for the Congress party in Bihar.

After the Emergency was lifted and the wind of change indicated Janata party's emergence as a forceful opponent, some younger stars in the film industry realized that was their chance to throw off the oppressor. It was now or never. On March 13, a group of film personalities, including the Anand brothers, (Dev, Vijay and Chetan) Pran, Shatrughan Sinha, and Amol Palekar gave a call to the film people to come out openly in support of the Janata party.

Their rally at the Juhu-Vile Parle grounds was a thundering success. Producers, directors and stars spoke in public of the humiliations and terror to which they had been subjected. The impact of the rally was felt far and wide. In Shukla's constituency cinema houses, which were earlier supporting Congress, became election offices for Janata party.

There were film people who with their personal loyalty to the Nehru, family kept aloof from the new wave. But even G.P. Sippy, Shukla's host of many an evening, cursed Shukla for his oppressive tactics. When news of Shukla's defeat reached Bombay, the film industry celebrated it with scores of victory parties.