PM Narendra Modi, biopic starring Vivek Oberoi, to re-release on 15 October post reopening of theatres

PM Narendra Modi, a biopic on the Prime Minister, starring Vivek Oberoi in the titular role, will re-release in cinema halls in the country on 15 October. Here’s the announcement

IN CINEMAS NEXT WEEK... #PMNarendraModi - starring #VivekAnandOberoi in title role - will re-release in *cinemas* next week... OFFICIAL poster announcing the theatrical release... pic.twitter.com/NfGRJoQVFS

— taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) October 10, 2020

The film, produced by Sandip Ssingh and directed by Omung Kumar, was released on 24 May 2019. It traces Modi’s journey “from abject poverty, selling tea on a railway station as a chaiwallah (tea seller) to becoming the leader of the world’s largest democracy.” The film was scheduled to release in April 2019 ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, but the Election Commission of India banned it saying biopics with political content “threaten level playing field.” On the opening day, the film earned Rs 2.88 crore. In an interaction with The Times of India, producer Sandip Ssingh, who is currently in Varanasi, says the controversies at the time of the film’s initial release had impacted its box-office performance in a big way. With theatres reopening now, the producer added he thinks it is a beneficial for both producers and cinema owners. He adds that he is aware that people “have not been coming out of their homes, [but] malls and restaurants have opened to decent numbers.” The biopic faced trouble when famed lyricists Javed Akhtar and Sameer stated that they were accredited without contribution to the project. The producer, however, countered the claims stating that they were given credit as their old songs had been reworked into the film.