Bollywood actors Anupam Kher and Akshaye Khanna at the trailer launch of film 'The Accidental Prime Minister' ... Read More

NEW DELHI: Days before its release, ‘ The Accidental Prime Minister ’ — a biopic based on former PM Manmohan Singh ’s 10-year tenure in office — has kicked up a huge row with Congress denouncing it as a propaganda effort and BJP saying the main opposition was being duplicitous in running down the film.

With the movie, based on a book by Singh’s former media advisor Sanjaya Baru , showing the UPA in poor light, BJP’s social media handles were quick to share the trailer of the film scheduled for a New Year release. BJP said it was a “riveting tale of how a family held the country to ransom for 10 long years”.

“Was Dr Singh just a regent who was holding on to the PM’s chair till the time heir was ready?” BJP asked. With well-known actor and BJP sympathiser Anupam Kher in the lead role, Congress leaders said the movie was a bid to distract attention from the failures of the Modi government.

“Sponsored a book before 2014, sponsored a movie before 2019 elections,” Congress spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi said.

Senior leader PL Punia added that the gimmick was intended to hide the government’s failures.

BJP picked on statements by state leaders seeking a review of the film to say, “Why does Congress want to censor a film when the book was published way back in April 2014? Just because fewer people read books than watch a movie. Where are the champions of free speech and expression? Stand up for artistic freedom.”

Reacting to the controversy, Kher said, “The more they protest, more publicity they will give to the film.”

