A Discovery Channel India documentary on Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, portraying his journey from his village in Sangrur to the state’s top political office of Chief Minister, was released on Jattvibeday night in seven languages, providing the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) with a carefully crafted political narrative ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections.Titled “From Satauj to Sansad”, the film presents Mann not merely as a politician but as the quintessential “aam aadmi” who rose from humble beginnings, established himself as a successful satirist and entertainer and then gave up a flourishing career to enter politics, with the stated aim of changing the way Punjab was governed.The timing of the documentary is politically significant. With the AAP government entering the final stretch of its tenure and the Opposition seeking to regain lost ground, it seeks to reinforce one of Mann’s principal political assets — his connect with ordinary Punjabis — while putting his four-and-a-half-year tenure in the context of his personal journey.The documentary begins by describing the 2022 Assembly election as a “historic mandate” given by Punjab to “a man who rose from the soil”. It repeatedly returns to the theme that Mann’s rise, from the stage as a comedian to the political stage and eventually to the Chief Minister’s office, remains rooted in his humble origins.“We never thought Bai ji (brother) would become CM,” says his sister Manpreet Kaur in the film, recalling the transformation of the comedian and performer she had known into Punjab’s Chief Minister.Mann’s close friends and former co-actors Binnu Dhillon and Karamjit Anmol also speak about his transition from the entertainment industry to politics. Dhillon describes Mann as someone who was once “the king of Punjab” in the world of comedy.“He was earlier a comedian, he was king of Punjab. He left it all because he had the inherent desire to change the way of governance in Punjab,” says Dhillon in the film.Karamjit, one of Mann’s childhood friends, stresses his humble social background as an important factor shaping his political outlook. “He rose from the lower economic strata of society,” he says, arguing that Mann therefore understands the problems faced by a small farmer or a labourer.The 45-minute documentary, shot at his home and in the fields of Satauj, the Chief Minister’s Office in Main Secretariat in Chandigarh and the CM’s residence, moves from Mann’s personal story to the achievements projected by his government, highlighting reforms in public education and healthcare, women empowerment and the government’s efforts to expand canal irrigation as a means of reducing dependence on groundwater and checking the long-term threat of desertification in Punjab.Its political messaging is particularly evident in the manner in which Mann’s governance initiatives are linked to his personal philosophy. The film seeks to portray the Chief Minister as someone who has carried his identity as a common man from the entertainment stage into the corridors of power.Mann himself speaks about his admiration for freedom fighter Bhagat Singh and explains why he considers him his idol. “Bhagat Singh threw a bomb to make the British listen to what the Indians wanted. I am also trying to make the right noises so that the voice of the common man is heard in the political arena, so that they get real and good governance,” he says. Mann also says that his journey from a comedian to an MP and then the CM had been possible only because of the love, respect and courage shown by the people of Punjab to choose him over traditional politicians.The film concludes by framing Mann’s political journey as one that has remained connected to his roots — “a rise that remains rooted to the soil” — while seeking to associate his leadership with the idea of “reigniting Punjab’s legendary spirit”.The documentary’s release, months before the 2027 Assembly elections, provides AAP with an additional political communication tool at a time when the party faces a more assertive Opposition.