Apparently, there might be some unspoken rule in Bollywood that you cannot have two alleged propaganda movies coming out on the same day. On March 19, it was announced that the biopic of the Indian Prime Minister, PM Narendra Modi, has ditched its original release date of April 12 and is releasing a week before. You can catch this film now on April 5. PM Narendra Modi is directed by Omung Kumar and stars Vivek Oberoi in the lead. Vivek Oberoi Starrer PM Narendra Modi to Release a Week Ahead of Its Slated Date, Will Hit the Theatres on April 5.
So why the change in release date? After the news of its April 5 release date broke out, now PM Narendra Modi's empty slot has been taken by another movie. Vivek Agnihotri, of Chocolate and Buddha in a Traffic Jam fame, is releasing his next, The Tashkent Files on April 12. The movie stars Mithun Chakraborty, Naseeruddin Shah, Shweta Basu, Pankaj Tripathi, Vinay Pathak, Mandira Bedi, Pallavi Joshi, Ankur Rathee and Prakash Belawadi.
Check out trade analyst's Taran Adarsh's tweet as well as the poster of the film:
Mithun Chakraborty, Naseeruddin Shah, Shweta Basu, Pankaj Tripathi, Vinay Pathak, Mandira Bedi, Pallavi Joshi, Ankur Rathee and Prakash Belawadi... #TheTashkentFiles to release on 12 April 2019... Directed by Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri... Zee Studios release... First look poster: pic.twitter.com/huxc6BQ10s
— taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) March 19, 2019
The Tashkent Files is reportedly based on the mysterious circumstances surrounding the death of former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri. Agnihotri, who is an open supporter of the current regime, has called the event that is the subject of the film, "the biggest cover-up of free India". Considering that the government in power during Shastri's death was Congress, are we looking at another The Accidental Prime Minister here? The Accidental Prime Minister Movie Review: Akshaye Khanna and Anupam Kher Make This Part-Satire, Part-Propaganda Watchable!
Earlier in an interview, Vivek Agnihotri has this to say about The Tashkent Files, "As a citizen, it is our democratic right to know if our 2nd Prime Minister Shri Lal Bahadur Shastriji died a natural death, or, as alleged, was it an assassination? I am trying to delve further into this mystery through TheTashkent Files."
Both PM Narendra Modi and The Tashkent Files are releasing when the 2019 Lok Sabha elections are in the first phase of polling. So what do you readers have to say about the timing of the releases here?
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 19, 2019 11:37 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).