44. The Accidental Prime Minister; movie review

THE ACCIDENTAL PRIME MINISTER
Cert PG
110 mins
BBFC advice: Contains mild bad language

The undefeated start to the everyfilm season was under threat but, fear not - a late night visit to Leicester means we are still sailing strong as we enter February.
For the umpteenth time, I was asked: "Are you sure? It's a Bollywood, film!", as I purchased my ticket.
Wearily, I replied: "I know. Am I allowed to watch it?" I confess it wasn't witty and I wasn't proud of my response but I am all out of polite answers.
Interestingly, it is always young people of Asian descent who wonder why I would be bothered with Bollywood.
Of course, I try to watch every film, regardless of country of origin, but The Accidental Prime Minister was particularly worth it as it offered an insider's view of the government of India.
The adaptation is of a book by Sanjaya Baru (Akshaye Khanna) which has been snubbed by its subject, Manmohan Singh (Anupam Kher) who led the country from 2004 to 2014.
Its subject matter could have been dry because of Singh's obvious lack of charisma as subtly portrayed by Kher.
However, it is presented in the style of the House of Cards with Khanna's character addressing the camera with a nod and a wink as turmoil unfurls.
I learned that Singh was sponsored as Prime Minister by Sonia Gandhi (Suzanne Bernert) after she led the Congress Party to success in 2004 but wasn't accepted into the top job because she was an Italian.
His problem was that Gandhi envisaged him being a puppet and reckoned without his steely determination.
She and the Congress Party leaders also failed to take into account the quick-wittedness of Baru, his personal advisor.
Skulduggery and obstinacy play out as Singh proves to be much more opinionated and resilient than his sponsors expected.
Additionally, the name Gandhi looms large with the advance of Sonia's son Rahul (Arjun Mathur).
Amid the drama is cleverly inserted footage of real events which gives the audience a clue as to the quality of the actors' representations (Kher is particularly impressive as the Prime Minister)
The combination provides a heady mix which gives one of the clearest insights into Indian politics in recent years.
Or does it? How far Baru has stretched the truth is up for debate.
Despite this question hanging in the air, I could tell from the reaction of the audience that the film touched the occasionally funny bone and I took that to indicate familiarity with the story and its characters.
As someone who knew nothing of Baru or Manmohan Singh, I was engaged and impressed by Vijay Ratnakar Gutte's film. At less than two hours, it never dragged.

Reasons to watch: Fascinating 21st-century Indian political history
Reasons to avoid: If you don't have at least some background knowledge

Laughs: A couple of chuckles
Jumps: None
Vomit: None
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 7.5/10

Did you know? Despite being a surprise candidate Manmohan Singh was the only Prime Minister since Nehru to be re-elected after completing 5 years of the term. 

The final word. Anupam Kher: "I am not going to back off. This is my life's best performance. Dr. Manmohan Singh will agree after seeing the film that it is a 100 per cent accurate description."

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