Haven't brushed Gujarat riots under the carpet, says Umesh Shukla

Mahesh Thakur in the show

Over a year after offering Modi: The Journey of a Common Man, a thinly veiled hagiography of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, director Umesh Shukla's fascination for the subject continues. The second season of the web series, Modi: CM to PM, charts what the title promises, albeit with a generous dose of reverence.

Shukla reveals that the Mahesh Thakur-fronted series is based on Kishor Makwana's book, Common Man's PM - Narendra Modi. "We procured the rights of the book. We [were certain that] we won't show only one aspect of Modi as that would have seemed like propaganda. I didn't want to do that. I felt there were some stories about him that had not reached many people and wanted to bring those to the fore," explains the director.

He is not perturbed that Vivek Oberoi tackled the same subject on the big screen with PM Narendra Modi (2019). "Films have time constraints. In a web show, you have ample time to showcase what you want to."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi

As the Eros Now offering traces Modi's tenure as the chief minister of Gujarat for three consecutive terms and his subsequent journey to becoming the prime minister, Shukla asserts the show has a balanced approach.

"It's a life-changing experience for me. Modi's selfless efforts were correct. That said, we have shown everything that has happened - the Godhra riots, the SIT [Special Investigations Team] investigation and how he was interrogated for 12 hours. I haven't brushed the riots under the carpet, including how he brought the situation under control. We have depicted that he sought help from other states during the riots. When he didn't get help, he took some crucial steps. After watching the show, people will form their opinions, and I am prepared for that."

Umesh Shukla

The director, who harbours hopes of showing his creation to the leader, has begun conceptualising the third edition. "The way he dealt with the pandemic and brought India on par with international countries need to be told," states Shukla.

Also Read: Web series 'Modi: The Journey Of A Common Man' pulled down

Keep scrolling to read more news

Catch up on all the latest entertainment news and gossip here. Also, download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news