Kozhikode: MP Ramachandran, the Kerala man who took the Internet by storm in 2017 with his striking resemblance with Prime Minister Modi, is all set to debut on the big screen to play none other than the prime minister.
Sixty-four-year-old Ramachandran will be seen in an upcoming Kannada movie titled ‘Statement 8/11’, which tells the story of demonetisation and its impacts on public life. The low budget movie written and directed by Appi Prasad, casts the Modi doppelganger in a key role.
An image of Ramachandran, a resident of Payyannur in Kannur district waiting for a train had gone viral on social media last year after a college student clicked his photo and posted it on Facebook with a caption — ‘PM Modi at Payyannur railway station.’
“I was on my way to Bangalore in July last year when someone took my photo and posted it on social media. When I reached Bangalore, there was a pack of photographers and media persons waiting for me at the railway station,” Ramachandran told.
“After watching my interview on a Kannada channel, a group of young filmmakers came to my Kannur residence, asking if I can play the role of the Prime Minster in a movie on demonetisaton,” says the Modi lookalike, adding that they finished shooting by the end of September in Coorg and Bangalore.
Ramachandran, who is very excited about this new role, says even though he will be seen only in a few scenes, all the scenes are extremely important. Of the all visuals, the most important one is of Prime Minister Modi making the historic address to the nation on November 8, 2016, says Ramachandran, who has no prior acting experience.
Even though he is playing the most powerful politician in the country on the screen, Ramachandran says he has no wish to join politics.
The movie which was slated for release on April 27 got delayed due to some technical reasons while the fresh release date is yet to be announced.
Ramachandran has been working as stenographer in Mumbai for many years after which he moved to a Gulf country. He is now enjoying his post-retirement days in his native place in Kannur.