Last week, the Supreme Court had asked the Election Commission (EC) of India to watch the movie PM Narendra Modi and then review its stay on the film. As per the instructions, the EC went through the film and submitted its response in a sealed envelope today.
The SC has directed the report to be served to the petitioner. The matter is now adjourned to Friday, 26 April.
The makers of the film, which is a biopic on India’s prime minister Narendra Modi, had filed a plea in the SC on 12 April citing a violation of their ‘freedom of speech and expression’. The EC had stayed the release of the film a day before its release on 11 April as it felt the film violated the model code of conduct which is in place for the ongoing general elections in the country.
While hearing the plea, the SC had asked the EC if they had seen the film in its entirety. When the EC answered in the negative, the Supreme Court ordered the EC to watch the full film and then submit their response in a sealed envelope.
Amidst this, Vivek Anand Oberoi, who plays Modi in the film, met the EC officers on 18 April over the film’s release and said that the poll panel saw the film a day before. “I can’t tell you their response, but we are happy after meeting them and getting their answer. We hope the movie is allowed to be released soon as there’s no political agenda behind PM Modi’s biopic,” said Oberoi to a group of reporters after the meeting.
Produced by Sandeep Ssingh and Suresh Oberoi, PM Narendra Modi is directed by Omung Kumar B.