Former Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy’s funeral procession witnessed overwhelming crowds, a testament to his popularity. As the state mourns the loss of the veteran Congress leader, let’s delve into movies that captured the essence of other popular chief ministers on the silver screen.
One such film is ‘Yatra’ (also known as ‘YSR: Yatra’), directed by Mahi V Raghav, which portrays the padayatra led by Y S Rajasekhara Reddy during his tenure as Andhra Pradesh’s chief minister. Mammootty, having essayed a chief minister twice in his career, brilliantly portrayed YSR and delivered a defining dialogue: “I knew the tactics needed to become the chief minister, but was unaware of what the people wanted. We have to hear what they have to say. We have to overcome these obstacles by knocking on everyone’s doorsteps and asking them.”
‘NTR Mahanayakudu’ is a biographical film centered around actor-turned-politician N T Rama Rao, who was equally popular and endearingly called ‘Anna’ by his devotees. His son, Nandamuri Balakarishan, played the titular character, and the movie showcased NTR’s initiatives as chief minister, such as introducing the mid-day meal programme and banning alcohol.
In ‘Thackeray,’ Bollywood actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui portrayed Balasaheb Thackeray, a prominent figure in Maharashtra politics, admired by the Marathi-speaking community for advocating for the downtrodden. The film, which also featured Amrita Rao as Thackeray’s wife Meenatai Thackeray, garnered praise despite facing controversies during its release.
Undoubtedly, ‘Thalaivi’ explores the life of one of the most popular chief ministers, Jayalalithaa, who ruled Tamil Nadu with grace and steely resolve. A L Vijay directed the biopic, with Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut essaying the title character, fondly known as Amma and Puratchi Thalaivi, and Arvind Swamy playing M G Ramachandran. The movie beautifully showcases the affection the two leaders had for each other.
Moving on from fictional portrayals, the socio-political documentary ‘An Insignificant Man’ sheds light on the historic win of ‘Aam Aadmi Party’ (AAP) in the 2013 Delhi Legislative Assembly Elections and the rise of Arvind Kejriwal as the chief minister. Directed by Vinay Shukla and Khushboo Ranka, the film received accolades and was screened at various film festivals in India and worldwide.
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