Anupam Kher will play former Indian PM Manmohan Singh in his next film

Acting the role of anyone in contemporary history is extremely challenging but I look forward to the challenge, he says

06 Jun, 2017

A film on former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is in the works, and word has it that Anupam Kher will play Singh's character.

This film is based on the memoir by Singh's media advisor Sanjay Baru. The Accidental Prime Minister is known to be critical of Singh's first term and was released around the time of the 2014 General Elections. In the book, Baru suggests that Singh was eventually just a figurehead with his party president Sonia Gandhi calling all the shots.

The film, which will take us through the internal dynamics of Singh's administration, is promised to be grander than the Ben Kingsley-starrer Gandhi.

It is being helmed by first-time director Vijay Ratnakar Gutte and its screenplay has been written by Aligarh director Hansal Mehta.

Speaking about the role, Anupam Kher said to The Economic Times, "Acting the role of anyone in contemporary history is extremely challenging, as comparisons are bound to be instant and inevitable. But as I have always revelled in challenges, right from my first film Saaransh, I look forward to the experience of portraying PM Manmohan Singh."

The rest of the cast is yet to be finalised.

The film comes out in December 2018, months before the 2019 elections in India. The first look will come out tomorrow.

Comments

ROHIT PANDEY Jun 06, 2017 07:20pm

I deeply respect Dr Manmohan Singh for his passion for social justice and reforms he undertook though it was against the grain of his long-held beliefs. I think he was a deep leftist. He embraced pragmatism and liberal reforms under Narsimha Rao. It was very unfortunate that the Gandhi family wields so much power ( not now!) and under the garb of socialism, ran an organised racketeering and he had to work with them.

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Faiz Jun 06, 2017 07:38pm

Complete propaganda promised.

Nitin Jun 06, 2017 07:49pm

Manmohan Singh is famous finance minister but worse Prime Minister after moraji desai

Nandoo Jun 06, 2017 08:02pm

Great respect for MM, man to be compared with Late Abdul Kalaam, but no voice. And sad part wrong party he joined where his voice was claimed as muffed and was not allowed to work his will by high command. This might be satire.

SG Jun 06, 2017 08:17pm

India is indebted to the Dr. Manmohan Singh for steering the country out of deep financial crisis with the economic reforms of 1991. All growth and economic prosperity seen today is an outcome of reforms introduced by him as Finance Minister. As Prime Minister he maintained extremely high standards of integrity for himself, but couldn't control high levels of corruption by his ministers. Tragic end to an otherwise respectable career.

ZuZu Jun 06, 2017 08:32pm

You must be kidding! Who wants to watch Manmohan Singh?

Syed Ahmed Jun 06, 2017 08:47pm

The movie will probably be quite witty but will ultimately flop on the big screen.

SATT Jun 06, 2017 09:49pm

Perfect casting.

Saira Jun 06, 2017 10:16pm

I totally lost my respect and liking for this actor after witnessing his ruthless right wing opportunism.

Indian Jun 06, 2017 11:10pm

This will be a silent movie .

Will Coswitt Jun 07, 2017 02:34am

It's a non-speaking role.

AXH Jun 07, 2017 02:54am

Anupam Kher is an over-actor.

Venkatesh Jun 07, 2017 04:12am

So that means Anupam Kher will not have any dialogues in the movie!

Abdulla Hussain Jun 07, 2017 06:34am

He cannot play better than Moin Akhtar played in Anwar Maqsood Loose Talk episode 298

D.K. PAMNANI Jun 07, 2017 09:10am

Ex PM Manmohan Singh used to keep silence on each and every issues. How Anupam Kher will keep quite and act.

jaydeep Jun 07, 2017 10:23am

@ZuZu You are so right !!!

helloworld Jun 07, 2017 10:30am

@Faiz Propaganda? I guess we Indians are smart enough to call bluff when we see one. Not like Pakistan, which hardly had successful democracy in last 70 years.

TechScribe Jun 07, 2017 12:22pm

@SG Manmohan Singh did little to steer India out of a financial crisis. We had bad balance of payment crisis. IMF and World Bank forced us to liberalise.