Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; July 24, 2018)

A short film inspired by the life of Narendra Modi (right, below) is making its way to the Rashtrapati Bhavan today. National Award-winning filmmaker Mangesh Hadawale’s Chalo Jeete Hain — that takes a leaf out of the Indian prime minister’s childhood — is set to be showcased for president Ram Nath Kovind.

An elated Hadawale (left) says, “The screening will be held at 7 pm today. I didn’t make the film to promote Modi ji’s policies. It is simply a story from his formative years, one that stayed with me. I have a special bond with children, and thus, their stories attract me.”

Starring child artiste Dhairya Darji, the film is set in the post-Independence era, chronicling the events that inspired a young boy to lead the country. Hadawale’s decision to make a film on the subject stemmed from a story he read in Modi’s Samajik Samrasta. “Modi ji’s book commences with the description of a play called Peelo Phool that he participated in when he was 10 years old. It was about a Dalit woman who was desperate to get a yellow flower from a temple, one that could save her son’s life. The story is about that impressionable boy, who was deeply inspired by Swami Vivekananda’s quote: ‘Wahi jeete hain, jo doosro ke liye jeete hain.’”

Hadawale, who calls himself a “full-time farmer”, is passionate about making films. In a bid to stay authentic to his material, he ensured that the 32-minute short was filmed in Vadodara. Mahaveer Jain and Bhushan Kumar’s (T-Series) production is set to release on Hotstar on July 29.

Ask him if he wants Modi to watch the film, and he says, “I would be happy if I could show it to him.”