Ahmedabad:
They sat together and watched
Paa at a special screening. The most unlikely people have turned out to have tremendous mutual admiration.
So what brought Gujarat Ka Sher Narendra Modi and Bollywood's Shahanshah Amitabh Bachchan together?
"There are some social issues in the movie which I wanted the government of Gujarat to see and if possible give the movie a tax exemption. And I thank Mr Modi that he spared some time to see this movie,'' says actor Amitabh Bachchan.
Chief Minister Narendra Modi simply says he is a fan. ''He has made an enormous contribution to Indian film industry. It's natural that all his fans are attracted towards him, including me, since I am also a common man.''
Narendra Modi's brush with celluloid so far has been volatile. In 2006, his party took on
Fanaa refusing it a release in Gujarat because Aamir Khan had supported the Narmada agitation. And it was no surprise that he opposed
Parzania, based on the Gujarat riots.
More recently, in 2009, Modi accompanied Anupam Kher to a screening of
A Wednesday, a film on the terror attacks in Mumbai. Modi's presence obviously tied in with his anti-jihadi agenda even as Gujarat was vociferously pushing for a more stringent terror law.
The
Paa screening, though, seemed more about bonhomie, less politics. And Big B has some praising words for the Gujarat chief minister. ''He has done some good work for his state, developmental work, and has made important contribution to the development of the state ... If the CM wishes I can lend my voice and face to a documentary on tourism or some social issues in Gujarat,'' says Amitabh.
One can't miss the irony. The last time Amitabh Bachchan promoted a state was not very long ago. Then, it was Uttar Pradesh and all for the Samajwadi Party. It's no secret of course that Mulayam Singh's party has always been a huge critic of Modi and the BJP.