Actor Sathyaraj denies rumours of playing Narendra Modi in biopic

Renowned actor Sathyaraj has denied rumours of playing Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his biopic. The actor also emphasised his allegiance to the ideologies of social reformer Periyar E V Ramasamy. His stance was conveyed to Minnambalam, a Tamil media channel.

Sathyaraj clarified that he has not been approached for the role of Modi, and even if offered, he would decline due to his ideological alignment as a 'Periyarist'.The actor has received critical acclaim for his portrayal of Periyar in the 2007 biopic dedicated to the social reformer.

The rumours of Sathyaraj's alleged portrayal of Modi sparked controversy, drawing criticism from various quarters, including Congress M P Karti Chidambaram. BJP leaders also opined that the role must not be given to Sathyaraj. Amidst the heated debates, Sathyaraj felt compelled to address the issue, refuting claims of his involvement in such a film. 

It was analyst Ramesh Bala who shared through social media platform X that Sathyaraj was cast to play Modi in a biopic. The rumour was that the biopic was to be produced by a leading Bollywood production company and was to be released in multiple languages including Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and English.

In 2019, a Bollywood film titled 'PM Narendra Modi', depicting the life of the Prime Minister, was released, with Vivek Oberoi essaying the titular role. Directed by Omung Kumar, the screenplay was penned by Vivek Oberoi and Aniruddha Chawla.