Riveting tale of how a family held the country to ransom: BJP reviews Anupam Kher's 'The Accidental Prime Minister'

After the makers of the upcoming biopic The Accidental Prime Minister based on former PM Manmohan Singh, dropped its trailer on Thursday, the film has been caught in politics as the election season is round the corner.

The Maharashtra Youth Congress has demanded a pre-release screening of the film that features internal party politics at the time.

The president of Maharashtra Youth Congress, Satyajeet Tambe Patil wrote to the producers of the Anupam Kher-starrer film, asking for a special screening before the film's release on January 11.

The film is based on the book by the same name written by Sanjaya Baru- Manmohan Singh's media advisor between 2004 and 2008. 

"Facts have been played with and presented in incorrect manner with regards to the ex-prime minister Manmohan Singh, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress party to malign the image of the party," Patil said.

His letter also says that if there are any "unfactual scenes" or parts that malign the Congress, "we demand that same should be edited and deleted from the movie, which can be concluded by us only after viewing the movie". 

If not, he warned of "other options" to stop the screening.

Why does Congress want to censor a film when the book it is based on 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! #TheAccidentalPrimeMinister pic.twitter.com/AzaNyIEkFR

— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) December 28, 2018

On the other hand, the trailer of The Accidental Prime Minister has been given top rating by the ruling BJP, which tweeted the trailer along with a review.

"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? Watch the official trailer of The Accidental Prime Minister, based on an insider's account, releasing on 11 Jan!" the BJP tweeted from its official account.

The video shows actor Anupam Kher as the 86-year-old who ruled India for 10 years until the Congress was voted out of power in 2014.

There are glimpses of difficult episodes in his tenure, mostly internal churnings in the Congress. 

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? Watch the official trailer of #TheAccidentalPrimeMinister, based on an insider’s account, releasing on 11 Jan! pic.twitter.com/ToliKa8xaH

— BJP (@BJP4India) December 27, 2018

Meanwhile, among those who criticised the Maharashtra Congress leader for his warning was former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah.

"As much as the Congress, its branches/off-shoots and other well wishers of Dr Manmohan Singh may find the movie disagreeable, we can't talk about intolerance and then threaten to stop all screenings. Dr Singh's record & legacy won't be the product of one single movie or book," he tweeted.

As much as the Congress, it’s branches/off-shoots & other well wishers of Dr Manmohan Singh may find the movie disagreeable, we can’t talk about intolerance & then threaten to stop all screenings. Dr Singh’s record & legacy won’t be the product of one single movie or book. https://t.co/zb9GZxMwgL

— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) December 28, 2018

Asked during the trailer launch if the BJP, which lost three state elections recently to the Congress, could use the film to its advantage in the campaign for the 2019 national election due by May, the actor said, "If I would have been in politics I would have definitely told them to do so. But I am an actor, they will decide."

Anupam Kher also said there was nothing wrong in the timing of the film's release. 

"People release patriotic films during Independence Day or Republic Day. This is a political film and we would like to release it in the election time. What is the problem in that?" Anupam Kher said. 

Apart from Kher, the film also features Arjun Mathur and Aahana Kumra as Congress president Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka Gandhi, respectively.

Suzanne Bernert will portray the role of former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, while Akshaye Khanna will be seen as Sanjaya Baru.