Vivek Oberoi plays the title role in the film "PM Narendra Modi".
A Congress leader's request to delay the release of a biopic on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, starring actor Vivek Oberoi, will be taken up by the Supreme Court again on April 8.
Questioning the timing of the release, the Congress had also filed a complaint against the film, "PM Narendra Modi", with the Election Commission, alleging its release close to the national election violates the model code of conduct.
Last week, Vivek Oberoi appeared before the poll body in response to a notice it served.
Senior advocate Abishek Manu Singhvi, who represented Aman Panwar, a Congress spokesperson, said the release of the film may affect free and fair election as mandated in the Constitution. Mr Singhvi said the movie was slated to be released on April 5 but there were some media reports Thursday which said the release has been deferred by a few days.
Mr Singh said four office bearers of the BJP are the producers of the film and that it is a violation of a level-playing field to other parties. He said the movie was slated to be released tomorrow but there were some media reports today which said the release has been deferred by a few days.
He said two high courts have refused to interfere with the release of the movie starring.
He also pointed out that the chairman of the sensor board is the lyricist of the movie.
A social activist too had requested the Supreme Court to hold the film's release.
The Indore bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court had on Wednesday rejected a petition seeking a ban on the release of the film.
The Bombay High Court had also on Monday disposed off a request to defer the release of the biopic, saying the Election Commission will deal with the issue.
Vivek Oberoi took pot-shot at the Congress that its leaders were scared of the chowkidar's danda (watchman's baton). The 42-year-old actor denied that the film's release violates the code of conduct for the election that begins next week, by glorifying PM Modi.
"It is a bogus film of a flop hero, a flop producer and is made on a flop person who has proved to be a zero," Mr Surjewala was quoted by news agency PTI as saying in response to Vivek Oberoi's jab.
Filmmaker Omung Kumar's PM Modi biopic has generated much interest. A two-and-half minute trailer had over a million views shortly after it emerged online. The film traces the PM's journey from his teens to the country's top job.
This is the second such political film to be released this year. In January, "The Accidental Prime Minister" themed on former prime minister Manmohan Singh's term gathered headlines more than box office success.
(With inputs from PTI)