Coming soon! A spate of movies on Arvind Kejriwal saga

Leaving behind all his contemporaries Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal seems to have become the favourite Indian politician, at least for the country’s filmmakers. As the Aam Aadmi Party celebrates its first anniversary in power in Delhi, at least three films on its leader and on the so-called “political revolution” promoted by the party, are in various stages of production.

Sources in the Central Board of Film Certification said at least three films, where the central character tries to draw inspiration from Mr Kejriwal and his political beliefs, are likely to be released this year. Mr Kejriwal’s popularity among filmmakers puts him in the company of political stalwarts like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel and Indira Gandhi, on whom several biopics have been made.

The biggest among these productions is likely to be the Irrfan Khan-starrer Madari, directed by Nishikant Kamat, which is supposedly a socio-political drama based on the life and politics of Mr Kejriwal. The makers of this film are trying to get an early window for the film’s release. It is learnt that Madari was scheduled for a September-end release, but now there is a push for an earlier date. While shooting for the film is understood to be taking place at a frenzied pace, these details are being kept under wraps to avoid any unwanted controversies.

Another film likely to be released this year is Proposition for a Revolution, a documentary directed by Khushboo Ranka and Vinay Shukla and produced by filmmaker Anand Gandhi (known for his Ship of Theseus), which aims to showcase the rise of anti-corruption protests in India and the formation and rise to power of the Aam Aadmi Party. Besides showcasing Mr Kejriwal’s role, this film aims to capture the AAP’s day-to-day functioning during the turbulent period between December 2012 and December 2013, which ended with the Delhi elections.

Another film in which Mr Kejriwal seems to be the central figure, and is awaiting release, is Dance of Democracy: Battle for Banaras. The film is a political satire, directed by Kamal Swaroop and is based on the Narendra Modi-Arvind Kejriwal electoral battle of May 2014. However, its release looks uncertain as the CBFC has refused to clear it as it finds the film “inflammatory” and “unsuitable for a general audience”, and has suggested a number of cuts to the film, sources said. The film was also found to be apparently skewed in favour of Mr Kejriwal while it showed his opponent Narendra Modi, now Prime Minister, in a bad light, a charge that is vehemently denied by Swaroop.