Modi Biopic Won’t Release on 5 April: Film Producer Confirms

The film is slated for release on 5 April, but is yet to be certified by the CBFC.

A poster for the upcoming biopic on Modi featuring Vivek Oberoi.

(Photo: Yogen Shah)

The PM Modi biopic, which was supposed to release on 5 April, will not be hitting the big screens as scheduled. The same was confirmed by Sandip Ssingh, the producer of the Modi biopic, on Twitter.

The Supreme Court on Thursday, 4 April, has agreed to hear a fresh petition seeking direction to defer the release of biopic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 8 April.

Congress leader and senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi mentioned the matter for urgent hearing, before a bench headed by Justice SA Bobde.

The Election Commission is unlikely to defer the release of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi biopic and will instead pass the buck to Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), reported The Indian Express.

Meanwhile, Prasoon Joshi, chairperson of Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), said the film is undergoing due process of examination and certification.

The biopic, directed by Mary Kom-fame Omung Kumar, was slated to hit the screens on 5 April but is now looking for a 12 April release.

Speaking to the newspaper, Hitesh Jain, the lawyer of the producers said that the film’s certification was “in process.”

No Connection With BJP, Claim Producers

The Vivek Oberoi-starrer is mired in controversy ahead of its release with opposition parties urging the EC to not allow the release of the film saying that its purpose was “political” to get extra mileage in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Earlier in March, both the Bombay and Delhi High Court rejected pleas which sought stay on the release of the film.

Earlier, responding to EC notice, the producers of the biopic said the allegations linking the movie with a political party are "false" and have "no basis in either fact and/or law.”

“The said film has been made as a commercial venture by our clients and other producers who are from the film industry. If a producer who is producing a movie relating to a political figure and/or political party is presumed (to be) having a political nexus, then every movie made in India involving political leaders (past and present) will be identified as a propaganda movie,” said Jain to The Indian Express.

Don’t Know If Scared of the Film or Chowkidar’s Stick: Oberoi

Speaking to ANI, Oberoi, who plays the titular role, said, “I don’t know if they are scared of the film or the Chowkidar’s stick.” The word has become synonymous with PM Modi ever since he launched his ‘Main Bhi Chowkidar’ campaign.

Referring to Modi, Oberoi also added that there has been panic because of the Chowkidar and his film has come in the path of cross-fire.

“We are being dragged into this. We are filmmakers and are not used to standing in front of panels and appearing in court rooms. Please spare us.”

Vivek Oberoi, Actor

(With inputs from The Indian Express, ANI)