The release of “PM Narendra Modi” biopic has been postponed indefinitely, its producer Sandip Ssingh said on Thursday.
The film was scheduled to be screened in theatres across the country on Friday.
Prasoon Joshi, Chairperson of Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), said the film is undergoing due process of examination and certification.
The film was originally set to release on April 12 but producers had advanced it by a week, claiming “public demand”.
“This is to confirm, our film ‘PM Narendra Modi’ is not releasing on 5th April. Will update soon,” Ssingh posted on Twitter on Thursday.
Though he did not clarify further, the censor board chief said the process is still underway.
“Since there are a lot of queries around the certification of the film, (I) would like to give a clear picture: the film is going through the due process of examination and certification according to the requisite guidelines and is yet to be certified as the process is not complete at this point,” Joshi told PTI.
The Election Commission has cleared the release of ‘PM Narendra Modi’ biopic stating that the film has not violated the model code of conduct.
However, the commission had said the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) was the competent authority to decide on the matter.
Opposition parties including the Congress had moved the poll body stating that the purpose of the release was “political” to get extra mileage in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission said it will take a final call on Friday on the release of the film.
The film, fronted by Vivek Oberoi and directed by “Mary Kom” maker Omung Kumar, has courted controversy with various political parties saying that releasing it less than a week before the general elections begin is a violation of the model code of conduct.
The movie showcases the trajectory of PM Modi’s life, from his formative years with the RSS, his chief ministership in Gujarat and how he led his party to a majority victory in 2014 and thereby becoming the Prime Minister of the country.
The project is also facing legal hurdles with a Congress leader filing a PIL in the Supreme Court, seeking a stay on its release. The court will hear the plea on Monday.