From gathering virtual crowds and dodging water cannons to escaping police chases, the Jantar Mantar protests have inspired a series of free online video games.
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Protests at Jantar Mantar are now inspiring online gaming experiences. Developers have created free online games inspired by the demonstrations, giving players virtual roles as protesters and police personnel in challenges involving crowds, barricades and detentions.
From ‘Jantar Mantar Chalo’, which lets players choose between protesters and police personnel, to ‘Bhaag Neha Bhaag’, inspired by AISA national president Neha Bora’s attempts to reach the protest site, the games draw on recent political developments and the scenes that unfolded on the streets of the national capital.
Another game, ‘Jantar Mantar to Jail’, features Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) members Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka. Players must dodge falling jail bars and police personnel while collecting coins representing “accountability” and “democracy”.
The games allows users to participate in virtual versions of events that have attracted attention online.
‘Bhaag Neha Bhaag’ takes inspiration from repeated detentions
Inspired by the protests is ‘Bhaag Neha Bhaag’, created by 30-year-old screenwriter and filmmaker Anav Nayar. He co-founded Wizloop Studios with his brother, Akshay Nayar, with the company focusing on content strategy, intellectual property for brands and the creative use of AI, PTI reported.
Nayar said the idea came from following Neha Bora’s attempts to reach Jantar Mantar and her repeated detentions.
“We were following how Neha Bora and other protesters were trying to reach Jantar Mantar. They were detained but the very next day, they were back at the spot. “My brother Akshay asked me how they were managing to do it, and that got me thinking about creating a game around it,” Nayar told PTI.
The brothers named the game Bhaag Neha Bhaag, drawing inspiration from the 1998 German film Run Lola Run, one of their favourites.
‘Jantar Mantar Chalo’ draws thousands of players
Suraj Kushwah, a 27-year-old resident of Bareilly who works at a cloud gaming company, developed Jantar Mantar Chalo after watching news coverage of the protests.
“I was watching the news and, out of sarcasm, thought of making a game around it,” Kushwah told PTI.
A technology enthusiast, Kushwah used artificial intelligence (AI) tools and his gaming knowledge to develop the game in about one-and-a-half days.
Players can choose to play as either protesters or Delhi Police personnel. Those playing as protesters must gather people and march towards Jantar Mantar, with larger crowds making them more powerful. Players choosing the police role, meanwhile, must detain as many protesters as possible.
The game incorporates several elements associated with the demonstrations. Tear gas slows down protesters, while water cannons present another obstacle. Players can also dance in front of water cannons and interact with media personnel through interviews.
Media coverage influences the game's progression. Interviews can increase a protester's influence and attract more people to the gathering. Its virtual map includes locations such as police stations, detention centres, India Gate and the Badarpur border.
“I made it as a sarcastic take, but now that it is getting so much attention; I am looking at updating it further,” he said.
‘Jantar Mantar to Jail’ turns accountability into points
The Nayar brothers also developed Jantar Mantar to Jail, which features CJP members Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka.
Players choose one of the three characters and attempt to avoid obstacles, including falling jail bars and police personnel dressed in orange kurtas.
Another game inspired by the protests features chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. It turns a satirical act involving a tap on his head into a scoring mechanic.
Protest context to the games
In June and July, the group led protests, including a march towards Parliament on July 20, demanding the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan as Union education minister over repeated paper leaks and student suicides. He was forced to resign over a month later.
The groups returned to the streets in October, joining opposition parties and student organisations in demonstrations seeking the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar. The protesters raised allegations concerning the functioning of the Election Commission and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The demonstrations generated images, videos and online discussions that subsequently became a source of inspiration for the game developers.
Anita Goswami is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times, where she primarily covers Indian and international news. With four years of industry experience, she has led coverage of Indian General elections, Assembly elections, and national polls in the United States, Canada, Bangladesh, and Nepal. Her reporting covers global wars and major events, including Operation Sindoor, Sheikh Hasina's ouster and the Mahakumbh Mela. She verifies facts and uses clear sources to ensure accurate reporting. As former Chief Copy Editor at Storytailors, she managed teams to produce top-quality content for networks like NDTV, Profit, CNBC-TV18, Upstox and News18. Her work is featured in NDTV, Meaww, and Global Pulse. Throughout her tenure, Anita has collaborated with and been mentored by top industry experts. When not reading, Anita can be found outdoors or at a bakery. Fields of interest: Indian political history, international elections, historical policy analysis, global conflicts, cultural events, Formula 1, art, media ethics and reporting on socio-political change over time.Read More