NEW DELHI: India’s top court Tuesday dismissed an appeal to delay the release of a Bollywood biopic about Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the opposition says is propaganda, until after India’s mega-election.
Under Indian election rules now in effect, the publication of any content deemed as campaign material – including advertisements, films and even social media – requires the election commission’s prior approval. It has lobbied for the movie – which tells the story of the Hindu nationalist leader’s ascent to power from his days selling tea at a train station – be withheld from cinemas until voting in the mega-elections ends on May 19.
Filmmakers postponed the scheduled release from April 5 after failing to get a censor’s certificate on time.“Our film, ‘PM Narendra Modi’ to release on April 11, 2019. Jai Hind ,” he posted on Twitter after the ruling. Voting in the first phase of the Indian election begins the same day.