Were you expecting the Election Commission to postpone the release of your film on Modi till after the elections? How did you take it?
It was a direct assault on free speech. In my opinion, they went about it in a very undemocratic way. We followed every single stipulated guideline in the Model Code of Conduct.The night before its release across 40 countries—after we had spent the money and done the promotions—we got the notice not to release it.That, to me, was really upsetting.
But would you not agree that the film would have influenced voters?
If you are talking about influence, then that extends to every biography or autobiography on book stands and every editorial in newspapers. So, what all can you stop? We are a film, an expression.... A biopic is nothing but an audio-visual form of a biography. It did not flout a single norm.
Did you reach out to those in the industry for support?
Yes. We reached out not only through the media but also personally. People are scared to take a stand and that is what happens in any industry. Eventually, you become victims. We will have more victims. I won’t be the last. But I have moved on.
Why would you take up such a subject that you knew would be controversial?
Why would you say that? To me, this story [about Modi] is not controversial; it is inspirational, because he achieved the unachievable in this country. Here is a boy whose mother had to scrub vessels in others’ homes because she did not have enough money. And yet, he did not chase money. From day one, he was very clear that he wanted to serve the nation.