Based on a novel Going Viral, The Vaccine War follows the story of the scientists from ICMR and NIV who collectively help in creating a vaccine against all odds. The major problem that I had with the story was that because it was dealing with such a relevant issue, the prerogative should have been to tell a human tale of defiance and also celebrate the achievements of the scientists who worked day and night for the vaccine to be created. Instead, the focus here is on the politics around it which I kind of did not appreciate given the amount of loss that the prople globally had to undergo during the pandemic. The screenplay standing at a overwhelming runtime of 160 minutes often drags at places even as the makers might have been confused with its narrative style, on whether to opt for a documentary route or a political route.

The drama opens in the pandemic era, with a couple of cops stopping a scientist and asking him to return home, after punishing him. The scientist obliges, and I think the purpose of the makers was to showcase the hardships of the scientists who were then developing the vaccine. However, this scene doesn’t quite drive the purpose that it is set out to achieve. Soon, you are introduced to the principal characters from the ICMR and the NIV, who have been notified of a potential virus doing the rounds internationally. There is a China reference too and how all of it could be a part of bio-warfare. But to my surprise, the writers did not choose to take this very relevant point ahead. The focus in the first half was the process of creating a vaccine, but it did turn out to be rather half-hearted with the process.

The proceedings are drousy in what seemed like a film written in reverse engineering. This was always a political film with strong political undertones, which is absolutely fine, but my issue was that in getting from point A to point B, you compromised on the journey that the scientists did undergo while not quite choosing to focus on their massive achievements. The issue was with the characterization of the protagonists who weren’t well developed at all. For instance, I didn’t know what people they were outside the environment that they worked in. The focus should have been on their struggles in their personal lives which would have connected well with the viewers. Surprisingly, the drama quickly went from one event to another without showcasing the struggles that the scientists may have had to undergo.

There is a strong opinion regarding the media and particularly one individual who has been vilified. I really did not have an issue with that, but the main issue here was the ‘Us Vs Them’ narrative that just didn’t add up. The characters were either black or white and there was a clear line drawn between the two. What I wished for was characters in the grey zone, dealing with their own vulnerability with respect to their own insecurities and the higher officials. This is where the conviction angles comes in. In The Kashmir Files, the character of Darshan Kumaar was finding his feet, not knowing what is true or a false agenda(strictly from a story point of view and not necessarily my thoughts). This until the very end, he understands the circus around him. But no such aspect is represented through any of the characters here.

The pandemic did lead to a huge loss, even personally speaking wherein I had lost a few family members and friends. But that entire segment of the second wave and the subsequent loss of lives formed barely 5 minutes of the duration. The writers were more keen on driving the political aspect of the vaccine whereas in reality, the questions should have been around the human angle of it. Some of the claims of the authorities being proactive seems hard to digest given that people had died due to lack of oxygen(the worst way anyone could die). These pertinent questions were ignored leading up to the final act which was fairly rousing(fairly because I was never connected with the characters and so the emotions didn’t quite hit home) with the arguments and rebuttal in store. But again the ideology of ‘No questions to be asked’ didn’t quite sit well with me, something which is important for democracy to thrive(let alone the agenda on either sides). That said, taking nothing away from the massive achievement of our scientists(particularly women scientists) and the health workers along with the authorities that did save many lives. I just wished the screenplay was a celebration of that as opposed to arguing at a tangent.