Prime Minister Modi is celebrating his 74th birthday on September 17. Here are works connected to his ascent

Narendra Modi is the longest-serving Prime Minister outside the Indian National Congress, following Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi. He was born and raised in Vadnagar, northeastern Gujarat and his political journey, from grassroots activism to the Prime Minister’s office, has been the subject of some films, books, and documentaries.

As his birthday approaches on September 17, here is a list of films and other works that have portrayed Narendra Modi’s rise to power.

PM Narendra Modi (film)

The 2019 biographical drama film, directed by Omung Kumar and written by Anirudh Chawla and Vivek Oberoi, portrays Modi’s journey from a tea seller to India’s 14th Prime Minister. After joining the BJP, his rise through the ranks, becoming the Chief Minister of Gujarat, and the challenges he faced, are all depicted in the movie. Produced by Anand Pandit, Suresh Oberoi, Sandip Singh, and Acharya Manish, the film features Manoj Joshi, Sheila Gore  and Boman Irani  in prominent roles, while Vivek Oberoi plays Narendra Modi. The movie can be streamed on MX Player.

Modi: Journey of a Common Man (TV miniseries)

The web series is based on the book ‘Common Man’s PM – Narendra Modi,’ by Kishore Makwana. It traces the journey of Modi from his humble beginnings to his role as Prime Minister. It also includes special episodes dedicated to his tenure as the Chief Minister of Gujarat. Director Umesh Shukla has crafted a narrative that blurs the line between fact and fiction, making it challenging for viewers to distinguish between the two. The cast includes Anang Desai, Makrand Deshpande, Mahesh Thakur, Prachee Shah Pandya, Ashish Sharma, Faizal Khan, and Darshan Jariwala. Produced by Umesh Shukla, Ashish Wagh and Hitesh Thakkar, the web series is available for streaming in Hindi, Gujarati, Telugu, Tamil, and Kannada on Prime Video.

The Modi Effect: Inside Narendra Modi’s Campaign (book)

Written by Lance Price, a Political Strategy Consultant and former BBC Political Correspondent, ‘The Modi Effect’ is not a traditional biography but rather a detailed account of the factors that shaped Narendra Modi’s rise to power before the 2014 general election. While it touches on his journey, the book focuses more on the strategies, movements, and events that propelled him to national prominence. It provides glimpses into how Modi’s campaign unfolded, highlighting his political ascent and its broader implications for India’s global standing by early 2015. The book presents a comprehensive overview of his rise, without delving into the intricacies of election mechanics. The paperback edition of the book is available on Amazon for Rs 470.

Chalo Jeete Hain (Short film)

The 32-minute short film ‘Chalo Jeete Hain’ is directed by Mangesh Hadawale and produced by Hadawale, Mahaveer Jain, and Bhushan Kumar. It depicts the life of a boy named Narendra a.k.a Naru, who is deeply inspired by Swami Vivekananda’s words, ‘Vahi jeete hain, jo dusaro ke liye jeete hain.’ Although it is said to be inspired by Modi’s childhood, it does not convey any direct political message but focuses on social reform . Dhairya Darji, Dipti Avlani, Dev Modi, Rajeev Saxena, Ajay Kumar and Lata S Singh are the lead actors in this docufilm. It is available for streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.