‘Hypocrite’: Anupam Kher And Hansal Mehta Spar Over The Accidental Prime Minister

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A heated exchange unfolded on social media between actor Anupam Kher and filmmaker Hansal Mehta over the 2019 film The Accidental Prime Minister. The controversy began when journalist Vir Sanghvi called the movie “one of the worst Hindi movies ever made” in a tweet, prompting Hansal Mehta to endorse the comment. Anupam Kher, who played former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh in the film, retaliated by calling Mehta a “hypocrite.”

Vir Sanghvi’s tweet read, “If you want to remember the lies that were told about Manmohan Singh you should rewatch The Accidental Prime Minister. It is not only one of the worst Hindi movies ever made but is an example of how media was used to tarnish the name of a good man.” Supporting Sanghvi’s criticism, Hansal Mehta responded with “+100,” triggering Anupam Kher’s ire.

Kher hit back, accusing Mehta of double standards. “The HYPOCRITE in this thread is NOT @virsanghvi. He has the freedom to not like a film. But @mehtahansal was the #CreativeDirector of #TheAccidentalPrimeMinister… Giving his creative inputs and must have taken the fee also for it. So for him to say 100% to #VirSanghvi’s comment is so messed up and full of double standards!” Kher wrote, further urging Mehta to “own” his involvement in the project.

Hansal Mehta responded diplomatically, acknowledging his role in the film and admitting it was a mistake. “Of course, I own my mistakes Mr Kher. And I can admit that I made a mistake. Can’t I, sir? I did my job as professionally as I was allowed to. Can you deny that?” he tweeted. Mehta also extended an olive branch, stating, “Whenever you wish we will speak and clear the air. I will not give space to trolls to distort this further and have a field day at our expense.”

Directed by Vijay Ratnakar Gutte, The Accidental Prime Minister was based on Sanjaya Baru’s book of the same name. The film featured Akshaye Khanna as Baru, Suzanne Bernert as Sonia Gandhi, and Arjun Mathur as Rahul Gandhi. Despite its high-profile cast, the film faced widespread criticism and was a commercial failure.

The spat between Kher and Mehta has reignited conversations about the film’s controversial legacy and its impact on public perceptions of Dr. Manmohan Singh’s tenure.

 

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