What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
NEW DELHI: Following the demise of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, a debate has sparked on social media about his biopic, The Accidental Prime Minister, featuring Anupam Kher in the lead role as Manmohan Singh. Veteran actor Anupam Kher has found himself at the center of the controversy.
One user on X (formerly Twitter) lambasted the movie, stating, “#ManmohanSingh Ji deserves a proper biopic. Not this crap that was made to mock and insult him by Sanghi @AnupamPKher.”
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Another user slammed Kher saying, “Sanghi @AnupamPKher can try harder but can never portray Dr Manmohan Singh.”
The backlash comes in the wake of remarks criticizing the film for its alleged political bias and perceived disrespect towards Singh’s legacy.
Another user shared their critique, highlighting the flaws in the movie’s narrative and execution. “Since we are on the subject, this is the review I did of The Accidental Prime Minister when it was released. For the record, it is wrong to keep targeting @AnupamPKher. What about the jokers who wrote & directed this garbage?”
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The same user further added, “If you want to remember the lies that were told about Manmohan Singh, you should rewatch The Accidental Prime Minister. It is not only one of the worst Hindi movies ever made but is an example of how the media was used to tarnish the name of a good man.”
Kher’s wife twice Kirron Kher contested from Chandigarh seat in 2014 and 2019 but was also slammed by several BJP leaders for rarely attending the Parliament. Kher was also slammed in murmurs by the film fraternity for using BJP for extolling personal gains through movies. Kher is one of the richest actors whose family has managed to make political moves while he exacted benefits by getting appointed on key positions or from films made after 2014 on politics — he was appointed as Chairman of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in October 2017 and did movies like Indu Sarkar, The Kashmir Files, The Vaccine War and Emergency.
In 2004, when the UPA (Congress alliance) won the election, then Congress President Sonia Gandhi faced pressure from opposition parties like the BJP and Shiv Sena, alongside controversies surrounding her citizenship. This led her to decline the prime ministerial position, creating a power vacuum within the alliance. Ultimately, the UPA selected Manmohan Singh, a veteran economist and former finance minister, as the consensus candidate for Prime Minister.
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However, in an interaction with a daily newspaper years after his term as Prime Minister, Singh once said, “I have nothing to be ashamed of about my prime ministership.”
Released in 2019, The Accidental Prime Minister was based on the book by Sanjaya Baru, Singh’s former media advisor. The film, directed by Vijay Ratnakar Gutte, faced criticism for its overt political messaging and alleged attempt to portray Singh as a weak and ineffective leader.
