Game of Thrones Recast with Indian Politicos but Where are the Starks?

As season 5 of hit TV show ‘Game of Thrones’ rolls around the corner, several online periodicals have capitalised on the show’s popularity, providing the casual surfer with more than a few laughs comparing the show’s many colourful characters to various different parliamentary figures and their minions. The bloodthirsty world of Westeros, where the show takes place, is political theatre like no other. Riddled with frequent power grabs, over the top machinations made by scheming political figures which makes Kevin Spacey’s ‘House of Cards’ seem more like sitcom than a drama.

The show has been both praised for its realistic characters, who instead of the black and white/good and evil archetypes we find frequently in your run-of-the-mill fantasy show, depict shades of grey and maligned for gratuitous violence and nudity. It is based on a series of novels written by American author George RR Martin who defends the violence in the claim that medieval England, which has served as the primary inspiration was no better, a few steps away from a Hobbesian state of nature – where lives, “were nasty, brutish and short.”

As one character in the show reminds us “power resides where we believe it resides, it’s a trick, a shadow on the wall”. This does especially ring true in the halls of Indian politics, where even among the upper echelons, many are unsure as to who actually wields the reigns. Among the many comparisons, the most compelling is that of House Lannister with the Indian National Congress. Both boast of a scheming mother, denied her place as an actual ruler. She compensates by ruling through her son, widely seen as an incompetent ruler. That being said, Indians should rejoice and take solace, that Rahul Gandhi unlike his Westerosi counterpart is merely an idiot and not vicious. If Rahul baba was to start lopping off the heads of everybody who slighted him, we’d run out of news anchors (Arnab Goswami take note).

Their stranglehold on power is threatened by both their inability to convince the country of their ruling capability and by the emergence of a more viable candidate, Narendra Modi and his firebrand advisor and campaign manager Amit Shah. He has support among several powerful political figures, but many see him as someone very thirsty for power, who will stop at nothing for total control. Like Stannis Baratheon who has aligned himself with fire priestess Melisandre to strengthen his chances of control.

Playing with fire has never really been an advisable strategy and the show compensates for Melisandre’s obvious evil by having her prance around in her birthday suit at every opportunity. Yet another reason for us Indians to be happy about – one can be fairly certain that no one’s fetishes are wanton enough to desire the sight of Amit Shah giving birth to a demonic shadow baby.

The trailer for the newest season provides an ominous warning to the ruling houses of Westeros, they are just spokes on a wheel, and there is coming an outsider intent on breaking it. Enter Daenerys Targaryen, an icon for feminists and chauvinists alike. Her backstory maybe a little different from Delhi’s beloved Arvind Kejriwal but their story unfolds in very similar ways, like Kejriwal she’s proved much better a threat than a ruler, they both have found support from defectors and exiled members of the other two camps and most importantly like Dany, Kejriwal has just banished his most powerful supporters.

Other characters in Indian politics may not be major players but their backdoor support has often resulted in major victories for their allies. The same can be true for several figures in Westeros, who rely on the chaos and infighting among the big guns to further their own ambitions (and their wealth.) Mukesh Ambani too finds a counterpart in Game of Thrones, the Iron Bank of Braavos, not afraid to bankroll several different candidates and throw their weight around whoever is winning.

But even Martin, who is criticised for doling out gruesome deaths to beloved characters has not been as evil as the gods who have given Indians their voting options. In Westeros we find an unlikely set of heroes, four orphaned children and one bastard whose parents have fallen prey to the schemers in the capital. From the very first episode fans have become enamoured with House Stark, at least giving fans someone to rally behind. For those of us unlucky enough to be part of India’s voter base, we are left to wonder – where are the Starks?

(Kartikeya has done a graduate degree in Philosophy and Politics, a Master's in International Relations and a self bestowed doctorate in Game of Thrones).