Why not a Modi biopic? quips PM Narendra Modi producer Sandip Ssingh

Ever since the Omung Kumar B directed film PM Narendra Modi – that stars Vivek Anand Oberoi – has been announced, the biopic has been courting several accusations and controversies. In an exclusive chat with the film’s producer Sandip Ssingh, we clear the air for once and for all.

Why a biopic on Prime Minister Narendra Modi?

Why not a Modi biopic? When we made a biopic on Mary Kom or made Sarbjit, then nobody questioned it. Just because he is a powerful political personality, everybody is questioning it. I am just moved by the story of this man. I think a tea-seller becoming a prime minister is a story by itself and I think somebody should have paid attention to it years back. When I got into it, I slowly discovered this man’s story.

Since when have you been a follower of Narendra Modi?

I have never been a Modi follower.

You have also written the script, so how much research went into it?

In that case, I did follow Modi’s journey for three years. Many people discouraged me and told me not to do it. They wanted me to get scared and drop the film, but I don’t really care about all these things. I take time to decide what films I want to make, but once it was decided, it was all easy. His life is an open book. He speaks on Mann Ki Baat himself, there are so many books available, so many news channels, news articles about him. So everyone already knows about his life. It’s the way we want to show his journey is what matters.

In what way are you trying to tell the story?

I feel cinema has to be told in a very different way and with a different perspective so that the audience accepts the story. So we have gone in a very commercial way. People had not expected the trailer to be like this, but we have just captured the entire journey in a different way. It’s about the direction and we consciously decided about how to tell the story. We chose a commercial way and now the story has been made and ready to go out to the audience as this film.

With elections just around the corner, people have been questioning the timing of the film. The film’s release date has been preponed to April 5 from April 12…

It is very simple. We moved from April 12 to April 5 because we did not want to clash with Kalank that is releasing on April 17. So I had only four days left for the box office. So I had no option but to release it a week prior.

What about the political parties that are questioning it?

Political parties should understand that they have been in India ruling for so many years and they have done great work for the country and for their state, all the political parties who are asking like DMK and NCP. They should understand one thing that they should concentrate on their work and convert the votes rather than concentrating on the filmmakers and getting publicity out of them.

The film is being called a propaganda film that will act as a publicity vehicle for Modi. Is this the case? 

Who stopped them to do anything for their party? Nobody has stopped anybody. So I think everybody has their own right and they should pay attention to themselves than paying attention to what others are doing. While making this film, we did not pay attention to what others were doing or what the people were saying or the parties were saying. We just wanted to tell a story in a simple way of a human being who became a Prime Minister from being a tea-seller. I was inspired and I want the nation, the 135-crore people to know that if they have a correct vision and thinking, whoever they may be, they can do something for the nation. And that is what the film is all about.

How much of his journey will be seen? Also, how much of the real footage has been used?

From a tea-seller to Prime Minister, we have captured all the crucial moments in the film – so, from a teenager to the present day. Talking about the stock footage, whatever the film required we have used the real video there. You have seen the film’s canvas and it does not look like we have shot it in 38 days. The film is big.

You all started filming very late and it’s releasing also so quickly. We also know for a fact that your film has not even gone to the Censor Board yet, so what is all this about?

We are not here to break any laws, we are not going against the law and releasing the film without proper certification. We know the rules, we have followed them and taken care of all the processes involved. My team and I have been very careful about that. I don’t want to talk about anything in particular but we made sure we are not breaking any rules for sure.

Has the film applied for the Censor?

I don’t know why the media has been asking these questions. The 64-days process has been initiated because there is no film that can pass before following this 64-day Censor Board process. And yes, we have followed all the norms. We have done our needful and now we are waiting for the certificate. That’s it.

Someone from the Censor Board has tipped us that the film has not come for censoring yet.

I don’t know about that official thing. We are doing what we can and they are doing what they can.

Will the Censor Board be able to clear the film before April 5?

That is not my job. Everybody has their individual jobs and I am not the one to answer that. I will follow what I have been asked to do, what has been written and once it is cleared, we are blessed and we will release the film on time.

Was Vivek Anand Oberoi your first choice and was he also very keen on being a part of this project initially? 

I approached him. One day I just reached his set where he was shooting for a film. He was my first choice and I went to him straight because I needed an actor who is passionate, dedicated and would give two years of his life before the film because this film requires a lot of patience.

So Vivek gave two years for this project?

Yes, we have been working on this film for quite long. We were very quiet about it because we had to pay attention to the pre-production and the writing of the film.

Where has the film been shot?

It’s been shot all over in Gujarat, in Uttrakhand, in Delhi, Mumbai and Banaras as well.

Amit Shah was supposed to be present at the poster launch, what happened there?

Manohar Parrikarji had passed away, so we couldn’t do the poster launch. So we launched it digitally.

After this, who’s biopic are you keen on making?

I have been so busy with this biopic that I had no time at all to think whose biopic I will make next or what movie I will do. I haven’t even thought if it will be a biopic, a thriller or an action film. I make one film in a year, but I make it very peacefully and concentrate on writing. Unfortunately, we don’t have many good writers in the industry and that is what the real struggle is all about.

Talking about the songs, are they recreated or original? 

I love Javed (Akhtar) Saahab and Sameer Saahab. They are the most-respected lyricists of the country. I have grown up listening to their songs. I love the song Eshwar Allah, so we have used that in the film. We have also used Suno Gaur Se Duniya Walon from Dus that Sameerji has written.