The Accidental Prime Minister, based on Sanjaya Baru's memoir of the same name, snowballed into controversy ever since the release of its trailer while Akshaye Khanna said that the book was read by Manmohan Singh himself. The Vijay Ratnakar Gutte-directed film casts Anupam Kher as Dr. Manmohan Singh while Akshaye plays the role of Baru in the film. Sanjaya Baru was Dr. Singh's media advisor.
"Today, as an author I can write what I want. Sanjaya Baru told the Prime Minister he was writing this book and was asked, "Tu mere bare mein likhega? Kadwa sachh bhi likega?" And when he said "Yes," he was allowed to write the book and publish it," Akshaye told a leading daily.
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Akshaye and Anupam Kher in a poster of The Accidental Prime Minister[/caption]
Apart from involving itself in a number of controversies, a case has been filed against Anupam Kher and others associated with The Accidental Prime Minister in a Bihar court on Wednesday for allegedly damaging the image of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Sanjaya Baru and other members of the Congress in the film.
Akshaye, meanwhile, defended the film, saying, "Manmohan Singh himself has read it, and though the PMO issued a statement against the book, no one sent Baru a legal notice. Had they taken him to court, no one would have bought the film rights to the book."
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Anupam Kher as Manmohan Singh in The Accidental Prime Minister[/caption]
Manmohan Singh, economist and politician, served as the Prime Minister of India from 2004 to 2014 under the United Progressive Alliance. The Accidental Prime Minister will release on January 11.
