Considering his work schedule and the travel, it is natural that Narendra Modi never really had the time to watch films. As Modi explained in an interview, "I am generally not inclined towards movies. But I used to watch them in my youth, out of that curiosity which only youth brings. Even then, it was never my temperament to watch movies just for entertainment. Instead, it was in my habit to search for lessons for life in the stories those movies told. I recall that, once, I went with some of my teachers and friends to watch the famous Hindi movie Guide that was based on a novel by R.K. Narayan. And, after the movie, I got into an intense debate with my friends. My argument was that the central idea in the movie was that, ultimately, everyone gets guided by his or her inner soul. But since I was too young, my friends did not take me seriously!" The film Guide made an impression on him for another purpose - the grim reality of drought and the visualimagery of helplessness that lack of water brings to farmers. Later on in life, when he had the opportunity, he devoted a substantial portion of his tenure in Gujarat in promoting institutionalised mechanisms of water conservation. It is a project which he has brought to the national level as well in his Prime Ministerial role.
As Shri Modi got immersed in work and the demands of his elected office became his first priority, the luxury of being able to watch films was no longer available to him. However, he did constantly remain in touch with the world of art and culture. Deeply valuing the contribution of our artists in our overall cultural consciousness, Shri Modi initiated innovative ideas like the Kite Festival in Gujarat to more recently organising the Bharat Parv in the Rajpath Lawns near India Gate.
And does Modi have a favourite song? The instantaneous response is Lata Mangeskar's exhorting rendition of the song "हो पवन वेग से उड़ने वाले घोड़े......" from the film the 1961 film 'Jai Chittor'? The raw energy of Bharat Vyyas's inspiring lyrics, captured so emphatically in S.N. Tripathi's composition have long remains Modi's favourite - "तेरे कंधों पे आज भार है मेवाड़ का, करना पड़ेगा तुझे सामना पहाड़ का....हल्दीघाटी नहीं है काम कोई खिलवाड़ का, देना जवाब वहाँ शेरों के दहाड़ का ......"
