EC likely to watch Modi biopic on SC's directions today
The EC has asked the producers of the film to arrange for a screening.
By PTI |
Agencies
The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Commission to watch the full biopic on Modi and take an informed decision on banning its pan India release by Friday.
NEW DELHI: Officials of the Election Commission, drawn from its model code and legal divisions, are likely to watch the biopic on Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday on the directions of the Supreme Court.
The EC has asked the producers of the film to arrange for a screening for a committee set up for the purpose.
The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Commission to watch the full biopic on Modi and take an informed decision on banning its pan India release by April 19.
A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi also directed the poll panel to submit its decision to the court in a sealed cover and said it will consider the matter on April 22.
Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for film producers who challenged the EC's ban on the release, said the poll panel banned it just by watching the promo and did not watch the full movie.
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The EC had on Wednesday last banned the screening of the biopic during the current poll period, saying any such film that subserves the purpose of any political entity or individual should not be displayed in electronic media.
Acting on the complaints of political parties, including the Congress, the poll panel had asserted that any biopic material with the potential to disturb the level playing field should not be displayed in areas where Model Code of Conduct was in force.
The Modi biopic, starring Vivek Oberoi and directed by Omung Kumar, tells the story of PM Modi's rise to power from his humble beginnings.
More Politics, Please! Modi Biopic, 'Thackeray' & Other Films That Courted Controversy
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It's poll season in India.
The 2019 multi-phased Lok Sabha elections have kicked off across the country. And it seems that political fervour has found flavour on screen as well. Biopics and films on political intrigue have created quite a buzz on social media, and away from it as well.
This year, so far, has witnessed the announcement and release of three such movies on top political figures of the country across decades. While some of these have been deemed offensive, others have been touted as political propaganda. Hailed by fans, slammed by critics and trolls, these films nevertheless have been talked about.
Here's a look at films with political hues that have courted controversy:
It's poll season in India.
The 2019 multi-phased Lok Sabha elections have kicked off across the country. And it seems that political fervour has found flavour on screen as well. Biopics and film..
Read More
Directed by Omung Kumar, 'PM Narendra Modi' is a biopic based on the life of India's 14th Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. The movie which is jointly produced by Suresh Oberoi, Sandip Ssingh and Anand Pandit, stars Vivek Oberoi in a pivotal role.
The film, earlier slated to release on April 5, landed in trouble when Congress spokesperson Aman Panwar wrote to the Election Commission seeking a ban on the film on grounds of violation of the model code of conduct of the elections. Earlier, his plea was rejected by two high courts which then pushed him to move to the EC.
The plea, which was heard by the Supreme Court on April 8, was not entertained on grounds of being 'premature'. The SC said so because the film had not been certified by Censor Board. Later, the film body gave a 'U' certificate to the movie. However, the EC then intervened and stalled the film's release till the LS polls concluded in May-end.
In response to this, the makers moved to SC and the apex court requested EC to watch the movie and take a call on its release. A decision on the same is now due on April 22.
Directed by Omung Kumar, 'PM Narendra Modi' is a biopic based on the life of India's 14th Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. The movie which is jointly produced by Suresh Oberoi, Sandip Ssingh and Anand ..
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Vivek Agnihotri's 'The Tashkent Files' was served a legal notice two days before its release on April 12. The movie is based on the mysterious death of former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri. The late PM's grandsons sent a notice to the makers seeking a stay on its release stating that the film tries to create unnecessary controversy and can hurt sentiments. However, the film released last Friday and received an average review from critics.
Vivek Agnihotri's 'The Tashkent Files' was served a legal notice two days before its release on April 12. The movie is based on the mysterious death of former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri. The ..
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Vijay Ratnakar Gutte's 'The Accidental Prime Minister' is a biopic on former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The movie was inspired by a memoir of the same name by Sanjay Baru who was a media advisor to the former PM. The film featured Anupam Kher as Singh, Akshaye Khanna as Baru and released on January 11 this year. However, the film had to go through a rough patch before it made to the theatres.
On January 3, a lawyer filed a case against the movie in Bihar court saying that the movie tarnishes the reputation of a few top officials. The plea also said that the lead actors have damaged the image of the former PM, his advisor, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Vadra. Some critics said that the movie is pro-BJP and anti-Congress.
Later, a Delhi-based designer named Pooja Mahajan filed a plea through her counsel seeking a ban on the movie's trailer. Her plea said that the movie violated Section 416 of the Indian Penal Code. Mahajan's PIL said that the movie's makers may not have taken permission from Singh, Rahul and Sonia Gandhi. The petition also said that a no-objection certificate needs to be procured from the CBFC for such films. However, no such certificate was obtained from the certification board. She requested the court to stall the movie's trailer on Google and YouTube and quash the certification provided.
Nevertheless, the movie went on the floors on January 11 and received mixed reviews from critics. While some hailed the movie as 'well-crafted', others felt that it was not engagingly dramatic.
Vijay Ratnakar Gutte's 'The Accidental Prime Minister' is a biopic on former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The movie was inspired by a memoir of the same name by Sanjay Baru who was a media advisor ..
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Abhijit Pansey's directorial 'Thackeray' is a biopic on Shiv Sena founder, Bal Thackeray. The movie featured Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Amrita Rao in pivotal roles and released on January 25 this year, which marked the late leader's 93rd birthday.
However, before hitting the theatres, the movie faced a tough time with the CBFC. In December last year, CBFC chief Prasoon Joshi objected to three dialogues in the movie which was scripted by a senior Shiv Sena leader, Sanjay Raut. Two of these were related to Thackeray's statements on the Babri Masjid and South Indians. However, Raut refused to edit this part of the film.
The film's reception leaned towards the negative side, however, it was still hailed as a good presentation solely due to Siddiqui's fine portrayal of Thackeray.
Abhijit Pansey's directorial 'Thackeray' is a biopic on Shiv Sena founder, Bal Thackeray. The movie featured Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Amrita Rao in pivotal roles and released on January 25 this year, ..
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Madhur Bhandarkar's 'Indu Sarkar' is a 2017 period political thriller based on the 19-month emergency period under the then Prime Minster Indira Gandhi. The film starred Kirti Kulhari, Tota Roy Chowdhury, Anupam Kher, Neil Nitin Mukesh and Supriya Vinod in pivotal roles.
It courted controversy from the day its trailer was released. The film was criticised by Congress supporters for showing Indira Gandhi and her son Sanjay Gandhi in bad light. However, the director defended the film by saying that it was not a biopic on the late PM.
Sanjay Gandhi's alleged daughter Priya Singh Paul then filed a plea in the Bombay High Court seeking a stay on the movie. However, her plea was quashed as she failed to establish her association to Gandhi. Two days before its release, Paul reached out to the SC seeking a stay on its release.
However, it was not entertained because the movie, according to the apex court, did not violate any law. The movie was given mixed reviews by critics.
Madhur Bhandarkar's 'Indu Sarkar' is a 2017 period political thriller based on the 19-month emergency period under the then Prime Minster Indira Gandhi. The film starred Kirti Kulhari, Tota Roy Chowd..
