Indian buyers shun Midnight’s Children movie

Distributors in more than 40 countries have picked up the rights of the film version of Salman Rushdie’s Booker-winning novel Midnight’s Children. India isn’t one of them.

Distributors in more than 40 countries have picked up the rights of the film version of Salman Rushdie’s Booker-winning novel Midnight’s Children. India isn’t one of them.

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Speaking at the film’s premiere in Toronto, director Deepa Mehta said it would be a “pity” if people in India did not see the film because of “insecure politicians”.

Midnight’s Children was critical of Indira Gandhi and the Emergency, triggering a defamation suit from the late Indian prime minister against Rushdie.

The movie has an unnamed female prime minister being played by actress Sarita Choudhary. The role, seemingly modelled on Gandhi, is presumably the cause of the Indian distributors’ anxiety.

Actor Rahul Bose plays the lead in the film, which is scheduled for a worldwide release in October.