Role in BJP big picture uncertain, Nitin Gadkari gets a film break

It’s rare for a living politician to be memorialised on the silver screen – rarer still in the top-heavy BJP, where such honours have been reserved for only Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The release of the trailer this week in Gadkari’s home town Nagpur answered as many questions as it raised. The BJP’s star brigade from Nagpur, led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and including local party MLAs, was present in strength – but neither was Gadkari, nor any other non-Nagpur BJP leader of significance.

Nitin Gadkari biopic trailer released in Nagpur on Monday. (Express Photo)

Given Gadkari’s status as an outlier in the Modi-Amit Shah universe, all the signals, for many, pointed to a twist in the tale.

At an event last month, the Union minister had given another indication of his distance from the party leadership, when in his usual cryptic style, he remarked: “For this Lok Sabha election, I have decided there will be no banners or posters. There will be no tea served to people. I firmly feel that those who want to vote will vote, those who don’t, will not.”

The Gadkari film, which calls itself “a realistic depiction” of the Union minister’s life, is written and directed by little-known filmmaker Anurag Rajan Bhusari. While Rahul Chopra plays Gadkari, Aishwarya Dorle is in the role of his wife Kanchan Gadkari.

A Gadkari aide claims he was reluctant about the idea at first. “When the film director and producer first expressed their desire, the minister was dismissive. But after persuasion, he gave his nod.”

According to the aide, even then, Gadkari believed that the filmmakers wanted to make an online documentary or something along those lines. That it turned out to be a biopic was something of a surprise, as per the aide.

He adds that, in this light, the Union minister’s absence at the Nagpur event was “natural” as he was not associated with the film beyond that. “He neither owns it, nor disowns it. He just didn’t want to discourage the young, aspiring filmmakers.”

About the timing of Gadkari the film’s release – as the countdown begins for the 2024 Lok Sabha and Maharashtra polls – BJP insiders said: “The film was conceptualised and made way back, before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. It was put on hold for unexplained reasons.”

Devendra Fadnavis was present at the trailer launch event.

While some sources said these reasons included the need for “some modifications” in the film, others point out that a launch at the time would have clashed with several biopics around PM Modi then. One such film, released in May 2019, had seen extensive promotion by BJP cadres.

BJP leaders in Mumbai and Nagpur, who did not want to come on record, said the Gadkari film should not be linked to politics. A senior Nagpur-based leader, who sees Gadkari as a mentor, said: “The film has nothing to do with the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. It is a sincere work by a group who wanted to capture nuances of Gadkari’s life.”

A senior state BJP general secretary said: “The film is not a BJP venture. But since Gadkari is a revered party leader, individually, people may go and watch it.”

At the trailer release, BJP leaders lavished praise on Gadkari, whose roots in Nagpur go deep, starting with the RSS, which has its headquarters in the town. He has now represented the Nagpur Lok Sabha seat twice, and his supporters expect him to be fielded again in 2024.

Sources said the talk that the BJP top leadership was not inclined to give Gadkari a ticket was misplaced, and that these were early days yet. “Candidates are decided purely on merit. When every seat is critical, the BJP leadership will certainly not overlook a sitting MP if he has winnability on his side,” a leader said.

Speaking at the trailer launch, Fadnavis said: “Gadkari is like Raj Kapoor. He dreams big, and he also pursues his dreams to their logical end… His innovative and visionary leadership is an inspiration for us.”

The Deputy CM talked about Gadkari’s performance as a minister, whether in the Union Transport Ministry and earlier as PWD Minister in Maharashtra. “Gadkari had rejected Reliance’s tender of Rs 3,600 crore for the Mumbai-Pune Expressway. He completed the project for Rs 1,600 crore,” Fadnavis said.

He also talked about working with Gadkari closely from a young age in Nagpur, and recounted how the 66-year-old had once campaigned with a fractured leg to ensure that the BJP won the Nagpur Municipal Corporation polls.

BJP MLC and national vice-president Praveen Datke said he owed his political career to Gadkari. “He gave me a break and helped me climb the political ladder.”

Director Bhusari told the audience: “The film attempts to capture some personal and political aspects of Gadkari’s life, including his origins from a humble background.”

Some of Gadkari’s aides believe there should have been more. “He is a multifaceted person. His contribution in mega infrastructure is immense. The World Economic Forum has also acknowledged his role in this,” says an aide. “So, there is a sense of incompleteness… the film has its limitations.”