The Election Commission has issued a directive to streaming platform Eros Now to stop the web-series Modi: The Journey Of A Common Man with immediate effect.
The commission cited the example of the biopic by Omung Kumar B, PM Narendra Modi, whose release has been put off until the end of the general election, among the reasons for the decision.
Newscentral24x7.com quoted the poll panel as saying, "In view of the admitted facts and material available on record, this web-series being an original web-series on Shri Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister and a political leader and a prospective candidate in the current general elections to the Lok Sabha, cannot be exhibited."
The web-series is written by Mihir Bhuta and Radhika Anand and directed by Umesh Shukla. The series was first aired on 5 April, a week before the first phase of polling took place. While the makers had initially planned a ten-episode series, only five episodes have been made live so far.
The commission's dictate on the web-series comes three days after the election commissioners watched a private screening of the film, PM Narendra Modi, with lead actor Vivek Anand Oberoi meeting them to offer his explanation.
The panel is expected to present its report on the film to the Supreme Court on 22 April.