PM Modi’s Biopic release postponed indefinitely

April 4: The release of PM Narendra Modi, a biopic on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been postponed. PM Narendra Modi producer Sandip Ssingh took to Twitter and wrote, “This is to confirm, our film ‘PM Narendra Modi’ is not releasing on 5th April. Will update soon.” Another tweet by film director Omung Kumar followed, but it didn’t help clear the air either. “Suspense!” he tweeted. “The film isn’t releasing tomorrow, not on 5th April. But it’ll be done soon, you’ll get to know. We don’t want to tell you the date now.

The film came in front of the Supreme Court for hearing and April 8 was decided as the date of hearing. A bench of Justice S.A. Bobde, Justice S. Abdul Nazeer and Justice Indira Banerjee agreed to hear the plea by Aman Panwar, one of the Congress spokesman, contending that the release of Modi biopic ahead of the election would disturb the level playing field.

Mentioning the matter for an urgent hearing, senior counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi told the court that the release of the film produced by three members of the ruling party in the midst of the election would disturb level playing field which is so essential for the purity of election and democracy.

The film starring Vivek Oberoi follows Modi’s life from his humble beginning to his rise first as the Gujarat chief minister and then as the Prime Minister. Last week, actor Vivek Oberoi — who played PM Modi in the film — appeared before the Election Commission in connection with a complaint filed by the Congress. He, however, remained defiant.

Vivek Oberoi criticised the Congress on a previous occasion too, saying that its leaders were scared of the “chowkidar’s danda (watchman’s baton)”. He rejected allegations that the film’s release violates the Model Code of Conduct, saying that the objective was simply to pay tributes to an extraordinary personality who is loved the country over.