New Delhi: The Election Commission cited 17 dialogues in different scenes of PM Narendra Modi among its objections for stalling the biopic’s release, The Indian Express has reported.
The EC even called the film “unabashedly unidimensional” in a report submitted to the Supreme Court. The poll panel said that the biopic “produces a political environment where an individual acquired cult status” and its public screening during an election would favour a particular political party.
Below are some of the dialogues in question:
At 21 minutes, 38 seconds:
Modi (played by Vivek Oberoi) says: “Rashtravaad hi meri sampatti hai, janta hi mera dhan hai… sar uthega Tirange ke liye, awaaz uthegi awaam ke liye (Nationalism is all that I have acquired and the people are my wealth… I’ll raise my head for the tricolour and I’ll raise my voice for the common people).”
At 33 mins, 28 secs:
‘Modi’: “Chawaalis saalon se ye baatein hi kiye jaa rahe hain. Laaton ke bhoot baaton se nahin mante. Seedha chetawani do Pakistan ko ki Kashmir chhodo varna hum tumhe tod denge (They have only been talking for the last 44 years. Punishment is justice for the unjust. Warn Pakistan that it should leave Kashmir or else we will ruin them).”
At 35 mins, 11 secs:
An Indian Army Major says: “Apni toh bas ek hi baat hai ki ek din ek sachha mard Dilli ki kursi par baithe. Jis din usne hamare haath khol diye, un saalon ke ghar main ghus kar unhain maarenge (I wish one day a real man comes to power in Delhi. The day that man gives us a free hand, we’ll hit them inside their homes).”
At 1 hour 21 mins, 49 secs:
‘Minister’: “Haan pagal ho gaya hoon aur mujhe pagal banaya Modi ne. Na khata hai, na khane deta hai. Na sota hai, na sone deta hai. (I’m going crazy and it’s Modi who is driving me crazy. He doesn’t get bribed nor allows anyone else to. He doesn’t sleep and doesn’t let others too).”
At 1hr, 42 mins, 9 secs:
‘Modi’: “Pakistan ko janm kisne diya? 1947 main akhand Bharat ke tukde-tukde kis party ne kiye? Agar Nehru ji ki jagah Sardar Patel PM hote, toh na hum Cheen ki ladaai haarte, na aadha Kashmir Pakistan ke pass hota, aur na hi aatankwaad ki wajah se humare veer sipahiyon ke dar sarhad pe katate (Who gave birth to Pakistan? Who broke our country into pieces in 1947? If Sardar Patel, instead of Nehru, had been our PM then neither would we have have lost the war with China nor would Pakistan have taken half of Kashmir away, and nor would our brave soldiers have lost their lives because of terrorism).”
The EC further said: “There are several scenes depicting a major Opposition party as corrupt and showing them in poor light. Their leaders have been depicted in such a manner that their identification is clear and obvious to the viewers.”
It said the biopic was a “hagiography” (which treats the subject as saints and gives undue reverence). The report was submitted after the apex court, on April 15, directed the EC to re-examine its earlier order and take an informed decision on banning release of the biopic after watching the full movie.
