'Main Atal Hoon' OTT release: When, where to watch
The biographical drama Main Atal Hoon, featuring Pankaj Tripathi as former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, is finally coming to OTT! Directed by Ravi Jadhav, the film was released in theaters on January 19. Now, it is all set to premiere on ZEE5 and will be available for streaming starting March 14. ZEE5 announced the news on social media, with the caption, "Shuru karo taiyaari, aa rahe hain Atal Bihari! (Start preparations, Atal Bihari is coming)."
Take a look at the announcement post here
What is 'Main Atal Hoon' all about?
Main Atal Hoon is a biography of India's esteemed political leader, Vajpayee, chronicling his life and journey since independence. It also depicts the evolution of elections, voting, and society. Produced by Vinod Bhanushali, Sandeep Singh, and Kamlesh Bhanushali, the film was penned by Rishi Virmani. Bhavesh Bhanushali and Sam Khan served as co-producers for the movie, while the background score was composed by Monty Sharma.
Box office collection and critical reception
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 33% approval rating from 12 critics, with an average score of 5.6/10. While critics commended Tripathi's performance, the movie struggled to draw audiences to theaters. During its opening weekend, it earned Rs. 5.40cr, and over its four-week theatrical run, it managed to collect only Rs. 9.94cr (India nett) per Sacnilk. The film faced tough competition from Sankranti releases like Merry Christmas, Guntur Kaaram, and Hanu-Man, and Fighter in the following week (January 25).
Meanwhile, Tripathi discussed his experience playing Vajpayee
In a recent interview, Tripathi discussed his experience portraying the former Prime Minister. He admitted to feeling unsure on the first day of shooting and struggled to find the "sur" of the character. Tripathi emphasized that he didn't want to imitate Vajpayee or use prosthetics to resemble him but aimed to capture his essence. The actor also acknowledged the public's role in making him a popular face through memes and reels.
'We were aware about it': Tripathi on film becoming propaganda
Regarding concerns about the film becoming propaganda, Tripathi previously stated the team was conscious of this and focused on presenting Vajpayee's persona honestly. He reportedly shared, "We were aware and conscious about it but our whole purpose was to bring out the persona of Atal ji on the big screen, (sic)." Tripathi added that they made sure to get things factually correct and present both the "goodness and shortcomings" of the person on screen.