It’s baffling that the makers of Ajey: The Untold Story of a Yogi, which is inspired by the life of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, insist it’s not a political drama. Dilip Jha, who has written the Anant V Joshi and Paresh Rawal-starrer, views the biopic as a personal story. “When I say it’s not a political film, what I mean is that it doesn’t only cover Yogi ji’s political life,” he begins. “His political path is known. What will be new for the audience is the personal side of his life,” emphasises Jha, who previously co-wrote MS Dhoni: The Untold Story (2016).

Ravindra Gautam’s directorial venture is adapted from Shantanu Gupta’s book, The Monk Who Became Chief Minister. Jha travelled extensively across Uttarakhand for the script.