‘I had to make sure that our much misunderstood erstwhile prime minister did not get a raw deal.’
IMAGE: Anupam Kher played Dr Manmohan Singh in The Accidental Prime Minister.
Anupam Kher posted a heartfelt tribute to Dr Manmohan Singh, who passed into the ages on December 26.
Kher played Dr Singh in the film The Accidental Prime Minister, which opened to mixed reviews and reactions.
“Manmohan Singhji‘s walk, his personality, his style of speaking are in the public consciousness. I could have easily fallen into the trap of mimicry but I avoided that,” Kher tells Subhash K Jha.
You played Manmohan Singhji in The Accidental Prime Minister.
It is easy to play a personality who is someone long gone, no matter how distinguished.
With due respects to Ben Kingsley who was simply outstanding, he played Mahatma Gandhi long after the original character’s physicality was a hazy memory on bank notes and vague documentaries.
On the other hand, I had to play someone who is very much in the public domain.
Manmohan Singhji‘s walk, his personality, his style of speaking are in the public consciousness.
It is the most challenging role of my career.
I could have easily fallen into the trap of mimicry but I avoided that.
I could have ended up being caricaturish.
IMAGE: Suzzane Bernert and Anupam Kher in The Accidental Prime Minister.
How would you rate your performance as Manmohan Singh?
I gave it my entire concentration.
We worked hard to make an epic homage to a man, scholar and politician, who is misunderstood, or rather hardly understood.
We were not looking at the bio-pic on Manmohan Singhji as a small film.
We made every effort to give the film the epic look that the man deserves.
IMAGE: Anupam Kher in The Accidental Prime Minister.
Did Manmohanji see the film?
Dr Singh was always bound by what his party’s high command wants.
He may not have wanted to disrespect their sentiments by seeing a film which did not flatter the Congress.
I respect Dr Singh even more for being so sensitive to the wishes of his high command.
IMAGE: Anupam Kher and Akshaye Khanna in The Accidental Prime Minister.
The film didn’t get favourable reviews.
I was ridiculed by knowledgeable critics for my performance.
My political loyalties were questioned.
But finally, it is the public which gave the film the acceptance we had hoped for.
Portraying Dr Singh was the most difficult role of my life.
I had to make sure that our much misunderstood erstwhile prime minister did not get a raw deal. That’s what he got during his tenure as the prime minister.
We didn’t want him to suffer more of the same indignity in our film.
I am proud to have played Dr Singh with such dignity.
