‘The Accidental Prime Minister’ Screening Stopped in Ludhiana
Screening of the the Bollywood film, “The Accidental Prime Minister” was stopped in a multiplex in Punjab’s Ludhiana city on Friday following protests by Congress party activists.
The activists held a protest outside the Pavilion Mall following which the multiplex management did not start the show to prevent untoward incidents.
Local police and administration officials were present when the Congress protest took place.
The film was however, screened in multiplexes in Chandigarh, around 130 km from here.
It is based on a book with the same title written by Sanjaya Baru, former Prime Minister Singh’s media advisor.
Baru’s book was published on April 20, 2014.
Actor Anupam Kher plays the role of Manmohan Singh, Suzanne Bernert that of Sonia Gandhi and Arjun Mathur of Rahul Gandhi. The role of Baru is being played by Akshaye Khanna.
Screening of ‘The Accidental Prime Minister’ cancelled in Kolkata
The screening of “The Accidental Prime Minister” was on Friday cancelled at a Kolkata theatre due to security reasons amid protest demonstrations by youth Congress activists, police said.
The film, directed by Vijay Ratnakar Gutte, released on Friday. It is based on a book with the same title written by Sanjaya Baru, who was media advisor to Manmohan Singh when he was Prime Minister.
Baru’s book was published on April 20, 2014.
Actor Anupam Kher portrays the role of Singh while Akshaye Khanna stars as Baru.
According to the viewers at the Hind Cinema near central Kolkata’s Chandni Chowk area, the show was cancelled after screening for just 10 minutes on its opening day.
“The afternoon screening of ‘The Accidental Prime Minister’ has been cancelled due to security reasons. There was an agitation by a certain group outside the hall,” a senior officer of Kolkata Police said told IANS.
However, he could not confirm whether the next shows of the film will be screened as scheduled.
State youth Congress leadership claimed the content and the title of the film is derogatory towards Singh and other senior leaders of Congress and demanded that the film be banned.
“The tile of the film itself is derogatory. What did the filmmaker want to imply by calling Manmohan Singh an accidental prime minister? Close to 100 activists of youth Congress in Kolkata protested in front of the theatre. It is good the screening has been stopped,” Bengal Youth Congress President Shadab Khan told IANS.
Asked whether forcing to cancel the screening of a film can be termed as violation of freedom of speech, the leader said sentiments of the party workers have been hurt by the film.
“The agitation was held as the sentiments of our activists were hurt. However, we are not planning any other agitations here as of now,” he added.
