Anupam Kher to play Manmohan Singh in film based on Sanjaya Baru's 'The Accidental Prime Minister'

Long-term Bollywood actor Anupam Kher will be casted as the former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh based on a memoir by policy analyst and Singh's media advisor Sanjaya Baru. The book titled 'The Accidental Prime Minister: The Making and Unmaking of Manmohan Singh' Sanjoy pens his critical take on Singh's first term as PM in office between 2004-2008.

The first look of the movie will be unveiled on Wednesday and is set to hit the screens in December 2018.  National award-winning director Hansal Mehta has written the screenplay which will be directed by Vijay Ratnakar Gutte, marking his Bollywood debut.

Producer Sunil Bohra says that casting of other characters is still underway and called the film a political drama. The movie will draw a spotlight on the inside workings of the PMO under Singh's reign.

Enthusiastic about playing the role of Singh, Anupam Kher told 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."

Baru who worked as the media advisor of Manmohan Singh suggests in his book that Congress president Sonia Gandhi had more authority than Singh in the functioning of the government.

The book had also created controversy for highlighting Manmohan Singh's handling of corruption under his government. "Dr Singh's general attitude towards corruption in public life, which adopted through his career in government, seemed to me to be that he would himself maintain the highest standards of probity in public life, but would not impose this on others," Baru wrote in his book.