Sixty four-year-old Ramachandran, a native of Payyannur in Kerala's Kannur district, is used to children and local residents of his village referring to him as ‘Modi’ – the man has a striking resemblance to the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. And his looks have now taken him to tinseltown! Ramachandran will soon be seen in a Kannada film about demonetisation, playing the role of the Prime Minister himself.
Ramachandran rose to popularity overnight in July 2017, when someone at the Payyannur railway station in Kannur photographed him. Wearing a grey T-shirt and a pair of glasses, Ramachandran stood waiting for the train to Bengaluru, with a bag in hand, peering at his smartphone. The 'unusual sighting of the PM at a railway station in Kerala' went viral on social media, and soon, Ramachandran was on television news channels!
Now, Ramachandran will be seen in the upcoming Kannada film Statement 8/11, directed by Appi Prasad and produced by Venu KH.
Speaking to TNM, Ramachandran says, "There are three or four scenes that I have done in the movie. One prominent one is the PM's speech declaring demonetisation.”
Although the makers of the film had begun shooting for the film already, they tweaked the script to incorporate Ramachandran after seeing his television interviews in July 2017.
"By September end, they got in touch with me, and we shot for the film in Bengaluru and Coorg in October," he says.
Life Before 'Going Viral'
Ramachandran used to work in a construction company in the Gulf for 10 years, before he relocated to Payyannur a few years ago. While his 'Modi-ness' lay undiscovered while working abroad, the people in his hometown were quick to notice the similarity.
"They used to call me Modi sometimes. I used to laugh it off all the time. After all they are calling me by the PM's name. But when I used to travel to the northern parts of the country, people used to mistake me for Narendra Modi," he says.
Narrating an incident from last year, when he visited Ayodhya, Ramachandran says:
I went to Ayodhya and there were security forces deployed at the temple. When they saw me, they mistook me for the PM. They thought Narendra Modi had come there for a surprise inspection! But then when they realised my identity, they took pictures with me. I have had similar experiences in Rishikesh and other places. Even in Kerala, people would come up to me for a selfie.
Watch the trailer of the film:
(This piece was originally published in The News Minute and has been republished with permission. Read the original story here.)
(The Quint is now on WhatsApp. To receive handpicked stories on topics you care about, subscribe to our WhatsApp services. Just go to TheQuint.com/WhatsApp and hit Send.)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)