AHMEDABAD (TIP): The shadow of Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi has hovered on Bollywood in the past. Many film-makers like Nandita Das and Rahul Dholakia even ruffled feathers with their depiction of the tragic Gujarat riots of 2002. As Modi marches towards a bigger role in national politics, Bollywood is betting on one of the most forceful politicians ever to hit the Indian political scene. There are talks about at least two films being made on Modi. One is being planned by noted actor Paresh Rawal. Rawal, who played Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in ‘Sardar’, a 1993 biopic on the Iron Man of India, will portray the character of Modi who likes to be known as ‘Chhote Sardar’.
The upcoming movie will also be produced by Rawal, who hails from Visnagar, the twin town of Vadnagar where Modi was born. While there are other producers lining up to cash in on Modi’s nationwide popularity ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in 2014, Rawal says his will be a hardcore, big-budget commercial film. “It will be a bio-pic of Modi, the man who may become our prime minister,” says Rawal, who idolizes the Gujarat CM. Rawal had even campaigned for Modi during the 2012 assembly elections. “The details are being worked out. But, this project is high on my priority list,” said Rawal, who last coproduced ‘Oh My God!’ a low-budget film which clocked Rs 100 crore at the box-office.