The trailer of the Vivek Anand Oberoi-starrer ‘PM Narendra Modi’, out on Wednesday, portrays Modi’s journey from chaiwala to PM, in the course of which he is depicted variously as young man on a spiritual quest, living austerely, being trained as an RSS cadet, becoming chief minister of Gujarat and finally, cut to the present.
However, diehard bhakts must remain content with just this 2.35-minute glimpse for now. The film is slated for release on April 5.
No, there is no mention of Godhra but there is a scene depicting the aftermath of riots with a teary-eyed Modi looking suitably aghast. Veteran actress Zarina Wahab plays Hiraben – briefly shown scrubbing pots and pans and later, providing a motherly shoulder for her son to lean on as he declares he wants to be a sanyasi.
No mention of the child marriage to Jasodaben either. A challenging role for Vivek Oberoi and while he tries his best, the struggle is glaringly evident. He does not entirely look the part and the public can tell because they see the real deal every single day on television and are familiar with his style.
To flash back, briefly, another film on another Prime Minister, released in January 2019. ‘The Accidental Prime Minister’ featured Anupam Kher essaying the role of Modi’s predecessor, Manmohan Singh, and he seemed to practically fit the role to a T, with his performance garnering favourable reviews.
Coming back to the Modi biopic, the trailer ends on a threatening note, with an angry PM declaring, “Chetawni deta hu mein Pakistan ko, agar dobara hum par haath uthaya, to haath kaat dunga. Tumne hamara balidan dekha hai, ab badla bhi dekhoge.” The shadow of Sholay will forever be with us. The actor was dressed as PM Modi as he entered the venue for the trailer launch of the biopic on Wednesday.
