The controversial PM Narendra Modi biopic finally released in theatres on 24 May (Friday). Despite the controversy it had garnered since its first trailer dropped, the film did not witness adequate footfall. According to trade analysts, had a slow start in the morning but picked up pace in the evening. PM Narendra Modi’s opening day earnings are pegged at Rs 2.88 crore.
It was released alongside Arjun Kapoor’s spy thriller India’s Most Wanted , which earned Rs 2.10 crore. PM Narendra Modi also faces competition from the much anticipated Hollywood release Aladdin , starring Will Smith and Mena Massoud.
#PMNarendraModi had a lukewarm start in the morning, but picked up speed as Day 1 progressed... Evening shows witnessed better occupancy... Fri ₹ 2.88 cr. India biz.
— taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) May 25, 2019
The film traces Narendra 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”. Directed by Omung Kumar, the cast also includes Rajendra Gupta as Modi’s father, Manoj Joshi as Amit Shah, Prashant Narayanan as a fictitious business tycoon named Aditya Reddy, Zarina Wahab as Modi’s mother and Barkha Bisht Sengupta as Modi’s wife. Boman Irani and Yatin Karyekar feature in prominent roles.
The film was initially scheduled to hit cinemas on 5 April, but was banned by the Election Commission as biopics with political content “threaten level playing field”.