Election Season Apt Time to Release The Accidental PM: Anupam Kher

Amid controversy, Anupam Kher called The Accidental PM “a revolutionary film from the cinema point of view”.

‘The Accidental Prime Minister’ purports to be a behind-the-scenes look at the UPA administration, especially the dynamics between former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi.

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

Amid the criticism by the Congress after the release of the trailer of The Accidental Prime Minister, the film’s lead Anupam Kher held a press conference in which he called it "a revolutionary film from the cinema point of view".

Asked about the timing of its release, ahead of the 2019 general elections, Kher said a film on politics should be released during the election season itself.

“For the first time in independent India, we made a film on real people with real names... This is the age of biopics; why can’t we make a film on what happens inside the PMO.”

Anupam Kher, as quoted by media reports

He further asserted that the response to the trailer of The Accidental Prime Minister has been "phenomenal", expressing confidence that the audience will love the film, while reportedly calling the controversy around it "unfortunate".

The controversy over the film – which purports to be a behind-the-scenes look at the UPA administration – escalated when the BJP shared a tweet on the film’s trailer, in what was seen to be an endorsement.

Earlier on Friday, 28 December, Kher defended the trailer, saying that the film is based on “facts” which can’t be changed.

Speaking to ANI, Kher had said, “If we make a film on the issue of Jallianwala Bagh or Holocaust, we can’t change the history or the facts. That’s what we have done here.”

The film is based on a book written by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s media advisor Sanjaya Baru, which depicts the dynamics between Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi.

“The book has been in the public domain since 2014, but no one ever said anything. Why is there hue and cry now when a film has been on it? The book is written by a man who was very close to the prime minister at that time.”

Anupam Kher to ANI

Within minutes of the trailer release on Thursday, 27 December, Congress leaders reacted sharply and called the film “false propoganda”. They also slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for promoting the film.

However, Kher who plays the role of Manmohan Singh in the film, said that the film shows the former prime minister in great light.

“You will love him (Manmohan Singh) in the film. We haven’t shown anything which was not known before,” Kher added.

(With inputs from ANI)