Manoj Bajpayee-starrer ‘Governor’ inspired by former RBI Governor S. Venkitaramanan

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Mumbai, June 2

The makers of the upcoming film “Governor” on Tuesday said the character played by actor Manoj Bajpayee is inspired by former Reserve Bank of India Governor S. Venkitaramanan, who played a crucial role during India’s 1991 economic crisis.

Produced by Sunshine Pictures, the film is directed by Chinmay Mandlekar and stars Manoj Bajpayee in the lead role, alongside Adah Sharma. The movie is based on real events linked to India’s financial turmoil during the early 1990s.

S. Venkitaramanan served as the 18th Governor of the Reserve Bank of India between December 1990 and December 1992, a period marked by severe economic challenges and a balance of payments crisis. During the crisis, India’s foreign exchange reserves had fallen sharply, leaving the country with funds sufficient for only a few weeks of imports.

According to the makers, Venkitaramanan took the unprecedented step of using India’s gold reserves as collateral to secure emergency foreign loans, helping the country avoid a sovereign default and providing time to implement economic reforms.

The film’s recent trailer has generated significant attention for its depiction of the political and economic tensions surrounding the crisis period.

Speaking about the role, Manoj Bajpayee described Venkitaramanan as a visionary who made difficult decisions at a time when the country faced uncertainty. He said the film aims to highlight the contribution of a public servant whose role in India’s economic recovery remains largely unknown to many people.

The makers said the film combines elements of political drama and financial crisis while focusing on leadership during a defining period in India’s modern economic history.

Produced by Vipul Amrutlal Shah and co-produced by Aashin A. Shah, the film features a screenplay by Suvendu Bhattacharyjee, Saurabh Bharat, Ravi Asrani, and Vipul Amrutlal Shah. Lyrics have been written by Javed Akhtar, while the music has been composed by Amit Trivedi.

“Governor” is scheduled for theatrical release on June 12, 2026.