When Boman Irani played Ratan Tata in the Narendra Modi biopic

Veteran industrialist Ratan Tata passed away at 86 in Mumbai on Wednesday, October 9. Indians from all walks of life mourned the demise of the noted philanthropist and business leader. Film celebrities like Kamal Haasan, Amitabh Bachchan, Diljit Dosanjh, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Ranveer Singh, Simi Garewal and many others paid their tributes to Ratan Tata, lauding his personality and contributions to nation building.

In a storied life, Ratan Tata had a few brushes with popular culture. He was one of the personalities profiled in Mega Icons, a documentary web series on inspiring Indians streaming on Disney+ Hotstar. More famously still, Ratan Tata was played by acclaimed actor Boman Irani in the 2019 biographical drama PM Narendra Modi. Directed by Omung Kumar, the film featured Vivek Oberoi in the role of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In the movie, panned as a hagiographic account of the Prime Minister’s life, and released in the wake of the 2019 general election results, we meet Mr. Modi as the former Chief Minister of Gujarat struggling to bring foreign investors to the State. He argues that only a major Indian company investing in Gujarat will generate the requisite confidence. In the next scene, we see Ratan Tata (Boman Irani) in his private jet, deliberating about the future of his Nano plant after the Singur fiasco in West Bengal. “That’s why this Modi is different,” he says, and soon gets an SMS from the former CM welcoming him to Gujarat. Their meeting goes well and, true to events, Ratan Tata sets up his vehicles manufacturing plant in Sanand after receiving land from the State government.

A sensitive, observant actor, Boman Irani captured the clipped tone and no-nonsense manner of Ratan Tata in his brief appearance in the Modi biopic.

In a post on X on Thursday, Irani condoled Tata’s death, writing, “Contributions to our nation, ranging from industry, philanthropy, elegance, humanity and his angel like devotion to animals; Ratan Tata will remain, even in the afterlife as one of the finest citizens of modern India.”