The Accidental Prime Minister is based on the book by the same name written by the former Prime Minister’s advisor Sanjay Baru. The film tells us that India had a weak Prime Minister from 2004 to 2014, who was just a puppet in the hands of the Congress president and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi (Suzanne Bernert).
The film lacks depth, there is no detailed explanations to the different issues that they have touched upon, they have just kind of spoken about the issues but not really given the full details of those issues, maybe because they have tried to pack in too many things. For a political film like this where details play an important part, the information provided is incomplete.
One scene that caught my eye was a scene where Rahul Gandhi (Arjun Mathur) speaks to his mother Sonia in Italian just so the others don’t understand what they are discussing and also establishing Sonia’s Italian roots and in a subtle way telling the world that she is a foreigner after all!
Unlike other Bollywood films the film does not have any songs but can you imagine Manmohan Singh sitting in a pensive mood with some sad Punjabi song playing in the background? Or Manmohan Singh singing? I don’t think I would be able to digest that.
What is remarkable about the film is the realistic casting in the film. Anupam Kher as Manmohan Singh is excellent, he has got into the character complete with the soft voice and his halting speech pattern, his walk etc. He is convincing though at times caricaturist.
Suzanne Bernert as Sonia Gandhi looks almost like her. Akshay as Sanjay Baru has some great dialogues and he is also the narrator of the story.He does a good job too even though he doesn’t look as close to Baru. Aahana Kumra as Priyanka Gandhi and Arjun Mathur as Rahul Gandhi look very close to them but have very little to do in the film.
Vijay Gutte’s directorial debut is interesting in parts but could have been better.People who follow and love politics may be able to relate to the film and enjoy it, but I wouldn’t say it is a film that everyone else would enjoy. BUT then what I’d advice is maybe one should watch it to know what our quiet ex Prime Minister was all about and how politics like they say, is a dirty game!
