PM Narendra Modi biopic producer Sandip Ssingh says the process of getting his film released has been very stressful. Ssingh said it had been more stressful than what the Padmaavat makers went through.
In recent developments, the Supreme Court on 15 April directed the Election Commission to watch the film and submit a report regarding its release, whether it should be banned or not. The apex court asked the poll body to submit its view to the court by April 22 in a sealed cover.
“We are in a lot of stress. The team is losing confidence, but we hope and pray that we get justice and we release our film. For the first time it has happened that a filmmaker has to go through this. There’s so much of humiliation and so much stress… Not even ‘Padmavati’ had gone through so much of stress. At least their release was not cancelled just a night before.
“But we have no option. We are waiting for justice,” Ssingh told IANS over phone from Mumbai.
The producer hopes that EC would be the ultimate justice bearer for their project. The Vivek Oberoi starrer was to initially release on April 5, but the date was shifted to April 11, the first day of polling for the 7-phased Lok Sabha elections, after a plea against its release was filed in the apex court.
On 10 April, the Election Commission ruled that any biopic material in nature of biography or hagiography that served the purpose of any political party or individual entity connected to it would not be displayed in media, including electronic, cinematograph when the Model Code of Conduct was in place.
After the makers approached the SC, the apex court gave EC the discretion to decide about the film’s fate.
“I am no one to decide whether the Supreme Court has given a fair chance or not. I am just a small producer who is begging in every court and to the Election Commission for justice for our film so that we can release it and everyone can watch it.”
“We are facing all this without anyone having seen the film. First all the parties, DMK, NCP, Congress… whether it was Kapil Sibal, Prashant Bhushan, Omar Abdullah, everyone wanted a ban on the film without knowing what the film is all about,” Ssingh rued.
The producer lamented that a lot of money had gone into making the film and its promotions. To be able to recover that, it is important that the film releases and that right to release the film on any particular date was the producer’s right.
Ssingh added, “Before the films are even being made, Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan and Aamir Khan announce the release date of their films. Whether it is Eid, Christmas or Diwali. So why can’t I have that freedom to release my film at the right time when I can get business out of it?”