The political scene is heating up in India, especially in the two Telugu States that are heading for elections. And apparently, it’s time for biographical films on a number of political personalities. While these films focus primarily on a leader’s life, they definitely throw a favourable light on the respective political party as well.
Director Krishhas a biopic on the late N.T. Rama Rao, who is a legendary actor who joined politics and became the chief minister. Director Mahi V. Raghav is working on a film named Yatra, based on the historic padyaatra by the late chief minister Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy. Another biopic titled Chandrodayam, about Chandrababu Naidu’s political journey, is also ready to hit screens. Then there’s actor Srikanth, who is playing the role of K. Chandrasekhar Rao in a film that revolves around KCR.
“If it helps the YSRCP, then I am happy,” says Mahi V. Raghav, the director of Yatra. “I am not related to the party, but I genuinely feel that there is an emotional journey in YSR’s historic walk,” he explains. “I wish that the film will help the party because the YSR Congress Party is named after YSR,” says Mahi.
The film Chandrodayam is been directed by P. Venkataramana. “It is about the political life of Chandrababu Naidu and it definitely helps the Telugu Desam Party,” says the director. He adds that he is not showing anything negative about the politician. “Everyone thought that Chandrababu backstabbed N.T. Rama Rao, who is also his father-in-law, to become the chief minister but I want to prove it wrong in my film,” says the director. About the commercial viability of his film he says, “I am confident that people will definitely watch it.”
The political biopic Telangana Devudu is about K. Chadrasekhar Rao. “Yes, I am playing KCR’s role and the story is about how KCR took the Telangana movement to another level and became the chief minister. There are no controversies and we focus only on KCR’s life,” says Srikanth. The actor admits that he met TRS party leaders before starting the project, and that the film will benefit the party. “We want to release the film before the elections and yes, it will definitely help,” he says.
Mahi V. Raghav, however, denies that his aim is to help a certain political party. “I am not making a documentary with a few crores of investment. I saw a story and I wanted to turn it into a commercial film. To dramatise it, I added a few cinematic scenes. If you look at any biopic, they can never be completely honest. Whoever has made it, will have taken the timeline and added a few things to it,” he says.
The truth, however, is that these biopics are woven around certain positive events in the protagonist’s life, while completely omitting to touch upon controversial incidents. So, in the two-part biopic directed by Krish, Balakrishna plays his father NTR and Chandrababu Naidu is shown in a very positive way. With no scope for comment on contentious issues, the character of Lakshmi Parvathi is conveniently left out, as is the subject of how Chandrababu Naidu took over the post of chief minister from NTR.
But what did find its way into the script is how Nadendla Bhaskara Rao turned villain whilst NTR was in the US for medical treatment.
