Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's Mere Pyaare Prime Minister only Asian film to be screened at Rome Film Festival

Filmmaker Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s upcoming film _Mere Pyaare Prime Minister_ was the only Asian film which was screened at the Rome Film Festival. On 23 October, the Official Selection of the Rome Film Fest presented three productions from three different continents. From Asia, Mehra’s directorial was screened in Sala Petrassi.

[caption id=“attachment_5255441” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] Mere Pyare Prime Minister poster[/caption] Mehra attended the screening along with his wife Bharathi Mehra, who is also the producer of the film which deals with the social issue of open defecation. As reported earlier, The film has been shot in real locations which were finalised after the recce of one month in Mumbai. Three years ago, Mehra had visited the Gandhi Ashram in Gandhinagar with an NGO which had decided to bring about change in the country after the release of Rang De Basanti. After seeing the Mahatma’s model toilets, the filmmaker started an initiative to build washrooms in municipal schools. Mere Pyaare Prime Minister was earlier slated to be released on Gandhi Jayanti since the film, the filmmaker had  said, was inspired by Mahatma Gandhi. “Gandhi is a recurring motif in the film… It comes many times….four times in the film,” Mehra had said. The film revolves around four children living in a Mumbai slum. One of them wants to build a toilet for his single mother and makes an appeal to the Prime Minister. (With inputs from agencies)