Before its release I honestly thought this is going to be a tough review for sure as it obviously was a clear propaganda film made with a purpose and many were almost ready to lap it up as an authentic revelation supporting their own though process and political associations.
But surprisingly, this happens to be one of the easiest reviews of the recent times, as the film unexpectedly turns out to be nothing but mimicry tried by its each and every character exactly like the entertaining trashy films made by the legend of his own kind, I. S. Johar.
Interestingly Johar started the trend of finding artists resembling known names of the industry and then made complete films with the cast giving them similar mannerisms and names like Anitav Bachan, Rakesh Khanna, Shahi Kapoor & more, mocking at the system and the artists together. FIVE RIFLES (1974) and NASBANDI (1978) are the two such films with one even boldly made making fun of the population control measure adapted by the government in the time of Emergency. THE ACCIDENTAL PRIME MINISTER frankly reminded me of those films right after the introduction of its key characters.
Giving the deserving credit, the project is actually nothing without two of its main protaganists namely former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh (effort fully played by Anupam Kher) and his media-advisor Sanjaya Baru (effectively enacted by Akshaye Khanna) who actually does most of the talking till the end. But here too where Akshaye excels breaking the fourth wall directly addressing the audience (strongly inspired from Kevin Spacey in the famous series HOUSE OF CARDS), Anupam fails to capture the real persona of the learned ‘silent’ man, despite making a hard-worked, careful and repeatedly visible conscious effort. Unfortunately, he slowly slips into mimicry, particularly with the forced voice modulation and the way he tries to walk, which is not at all similar to how Dr. Manmohan Singh walks in the real life. Plus in one scene, the director also makes him lie on bed with the oxygen mask on and he is still wearing a well tied blue turban defying all the logic. Besides I don’t think Dr. Singh ever trimmed his beard as it’s visible in many close ups of Anupam Kher. Can’t say what kind of research was done studying the character before conceiving the film.
To be on the safer side, the film duly respects the former Prime Minister accepting him as a genius who prefers to speak less, but isn’t able to introduce him properly to the viewers or the world. Obviously doing that would have largely contradicted the actual purpose of the film, yet they maintain the required dignity, which surely needs to be appreciated by all means. On the other hand, it strongly and intentionally attacks everyone around the former PM belonging to his party including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and more taking the actual names like the part of a perfectly timed promotional campaign before the coming election. And this only differentiates THE ACCIDENTAL PRIME MINISTER from the above mentioned I. S. Johar films as it doesn’t shy away in taking the real names casting similar looking actors for the specific roles (which they have certainly done quite well).
The politically motivated project also doesn’t work as it clearly appears to be a hurriedly made shoddy film (with visible budget constraints mostly shot on chroma) taking whatever seems to be important from Sanjaya Baru’s book it is based upon. Directed by the debutant Vijay Ratnakar Gutte, it follows a boring, sloppy narration of convenience which strangely has been written by not one or two but four people together. Amateurish handling of many important events can be seen repeatedly in the progression with the deliberate addition of poorly reworked full screen news clips, which in turn make the revelations less convincing. In addition, at one point of time I think I even heard the background score resembling the notes of the famous title track of “Kal Ho Na Ho”.
To be fair, I would still like the film to be seen, as it firstly gives you a clear indication about the clean but questionably silent personality of Dr. Manmohan Singh, along with the likable act of Akshaye Khanna excelling them all. Plus it also perfectly works as a trashy entertainer with many comical acts by the supporting cast performing in the way - as if they are a part of some epic political creation in the history of Indian cinema.
Besides such carelessly made film presenting a former Prime Minister of the country as a mere caricature should ideally inspire every concerned viewer of the nation to find the actual inspiration behind the project - the book “The Accidental Prime Minister: The Making And Unmaking of Manmohan Singh” - and read it properly getting the real thing as narrated from the point of view of the author Sanjaya Baru.
But then whatever Baru has written also remains the truth seen from one man’s perspective, a truth that might turn out to be entirely different from the point of view of the man himself, the former Prime Minister of India Dr. Manmohan Singh – who will probably never speak or write a book revealing his own side. So do watch it if possible and entertain yourself in a different manner getting closer to the difficult situations faced by our former Prime Minister.
Rating : 1.5 / 5
(Note: The intereaction between the two key characters also strongly reminds you of the famous TV series YES MINISTER)
