Sumith Prasad
Netflix’s Indian series ‘Black Warrant’ revolves around Sunil Kumar Gupta’s efforts to reform Tihar Jail with the help of his colleagues, Vipin Dahiya and Shivraj Singh Mangat. When the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi paves the way for a potential riot inside the prison, they team up together to nip it in the bud. Even though Dahiya and Mangat are not as committed to turning Tihar into a better workplace as their fellow assistant superintendent (ASP), they do not hesitate to join him when the latter seeks help. While their camaraderie is heartwarming, its existence in reality warrants a detailed explanation! SPOILERS AHEAD.
Vipin Dahiya and Shivraj Singh Mangat Are Fictional Characters Created With Minimal Roots in Reality
Vipin Dahiya and Shivraj Singh Mangat are fictional characters created for ‘Black Warrant.’ While, in reality, Sunil Kumar Gupta had worked with correctional officers who resembled them, the two ASPs do not have exact real-life counterparts. Vikramaditya Motwane and Satyanshu Singh, the creators of the period drama, conceived their story arcs partially based on the retired jailer’s experiences with numerous colleagues. For example, in the show, Mangat deals with the escape of 180 students from Tihar Jail who have been held captive as political prisoners. The incident severely threatens the ASP’s job, forcing Sunil and Dahiya to solve the case and save their friend’s career.
In real life, 180 students from the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) escaped from Tihar, as the series depicts. However, the man who was asked to be involved in the case was Shivraj Yadav, a warden rather than an ASP. Furthermore, Yadav’s main responsibility was signing off on shutting down the prison rather than conducting a complete investigation into the matter. Even though Shivraj and Mangat have the same first name, there isn’t enough evidence to undoubtedly state that the latter is based on the former. In the period drama, after Indira Gandhi is assassinated, DSP Rajesh Tomar reassigns the Sikh officers in the prison to avoid a riot inside the jail complex.
Mangat gets reassigned from active jail duty as part of this measure, which severely infuriates him. He confronts his superior and expresses how unacceptable it is to discriminate against someone based on their religion. As the series depicts, such measures were taken in the wake of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, according to Sunil’s memoir ‘Black Warrant: Confessions of a Tihar Jailer,’ the source text of the series. Having said that, Shivraj Yadav was not reassigned at the time. Mangat’s overarching storyline about his brother becoming a rebel also does not have any roots in reality.
Vipin Dahiya and Shivraj Singh Mangat Make Black Warrant a Coming-of-Age Drama
Even though ‘Black Warrant’ is a prison series, it can also be approached as a coming-of-age drama about three young, inexperienced jailers who mature as officers within the walls of one of the most corrupt systems in India. Sunil Kumar Gupta, Vipin Dahiya, and Shivraj Singh Mangat process their experiences differently and garner a new perspective on life. Interestingly, this dimension of the show’s narrative is one of the elements of the series that attracted producer Sameer Nair to the project. For this coming-of-age storyline to work, Sunil must be placed among people who are drastically different from him, which justifies the creation of Dahiya and Mangat.
Sunil, Dahiya, and Mangat are extremely different individuals. While the former is an idealistic reformer, the latter is a vulnerable being who is scared of uncertainties. Their colleague is someone who dares to do things they will never even dream of doing, which includes developing an affair with the wife of his superior. The drastic differences between them and how they react to their common experiences in Tihar form impressive character studies that make ‘Black Warrant’ an exceptional series. Using the character of Mangat, the show also delivers a relevant political commentary concerning the conflicts that have prevailed in the state of Punjab for decades.
Even though Dahiya and Mangat are fictional, they offer many insights into the 1980s and life in prison. The contrasts between them and Sunil help viewers better appreciate the protagonist and connect with his plights, which enhances the viewing experience of ‘Black Warrant.’
Read More: Black Warrant Ending, Explained: Why Were All the Prison Guards Asleep?
