The movie—Gujarat No Nath—showcasing a CM with Modi-like attributes was released on January 25, weeks after his emphatic victory in the Assembly elections. But its poor showing at the box office has left producers wondering as to what happened to the CM's popularity so soon.

Jointly produced by a Surat-based businessman Ranmal Ahir and Bharat Solanki, brother of Fisheries Minister Parsottam Solanki, the film even failed to impress the BJP cadres.

Solanki admitted that his attempts to enlist party cadres by writing to district and taluka office bearers too failed to get them to watch the movie.

Porbandar MLA Arjun Modhwadia, however, had his own version of the story. In the Assembly, he informed the media that in his constituency some BJP office bearers had organised free shows for schoolkids to prove their loyalty to the chief minister.

The producer accepted that he suffered a loss of over Rs 1 crore in the venture owing to lack of public interest.