The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed the petition filed seeking a stay on the Vivek Oberoi starrer-PM Narendra Modi. The actor took to his Twitter page to hail the apex court’s decision and declare the new release date of the movie- April 11, 2019.
With all your blessings, support and love,today we have won in the Honorable Supreme Court! A humble thank you to all of you and to the Indian juidiciary ? for upholding our faith in democracy! Thursday 11th April. Jai Hind?? ?? #PMNarendraModiWins https://t.co/fJLlgyslHQ
— Vivek Anand Oberoi (@vivekoberoi) April 9, 2019
The top court gave its approval to release the movie after the movie gets CBFC issues a certificate to the movie. The court also stated that it is upon the Election Commission to decide if the movie breaks the Model Code of Conduct.
“We have not seen the film. We do not know the contents of the film. How can we order anything without knowing what we are ordering about?” asked CJI Ranjan Gogoi.
The film was initially scheduled to release on April 5 but due to roadblocks by opposition parties, the release got delayed to April 11, the same day first phase of Lok Sabha elections starts. Vivek Oberoi, who is playing the role of Narendra Modi in the movie and who is also a staunch Modi government supporter welcomed the SC decision.
Oberoi, a staunch supporter of Modi, said that some powerful people created difficulties for them, and they couldn’t release the prime minister’s biopic on April 5, less than a week before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
The film, directed by Omung Kumar, has been criticised by the opposition parties, who claim that the biopic could give undue advantage to the BJP in the polls as it will arrive in theatres before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The seven-phase polls will begin on April 11 and continue till May 19.
The opposition parties are clamouring that the screening of Omung Kumar directed, Vivek Oberoi-starter PM Narendra Modi might give the BJP an undue advantage in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. Hence, they are vehemently protesting against the release of the movie before the elections.
“We had intended to release the film on April 5, but due to some powerful people, we couldn’t release it. We are endeavouring hard to get the film released on April 11,” Oberoi said.
Refuting the allegations of the movie being a propaganda film, Oberoi defended the movie’s release dates converging with the election schedule as a mere ‘coincidence’. He said he has a credible body of overwork spanning over the last 18 years. “I don’t need to make him appear as a Hero. He is a hero to the billions of people across the world,” Vivek emphasised.
