Filmmaker Hansal Mehta stands by his stance of supporting Vir Sanghvi’s critical tweet on the film The Accidental Prime Minister (2019). While actor Anupam Kher, who played the lead role of late Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the 2019 film, didn’t approve of Mehta’s support to the tweet against the film, the filmmaker, who was also the creative producer for the film, has no regrets.
The late ex-PM died on December 26, leading to the discussion around the film made on his tenure as a Prime Minister.
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On Friday, senior journalist Vir Sanghvi had tweeted, “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.” Reacting to it, Hansal wrote, “+100.”
Anupam Kher, 69, then wrote a long tweet saying that while he has no problem with Sanghvi expressing his opinion, Mehta, who was the creative director of the film shouldn’t go against the film.
Speaking to HTCity exclusively on Kher’s reaction, Hansal Mehta says, “I stand by my successes as I do my failures. I own up to my mistakes as much as I do any other choices I’ve made in my life. But to self-reflect, to introspect and to admit in hindsight that I’ve erred is my prerogative. There are times in a career where you carry out professional duties even when in dissonance or not in control with the work assigned to you. By self-reflection I hope to make lesser errors of judgement in the future.”
Hansal, 56, further says, “Dr Singh’s passing away prompted me to express this regret. Nothing more.”
However, Hansal doesn’t back down for the respect he has for Kher.
“I think what irked Mr Kher was my agreement with another senior journalist’s criticism of the film. That might have been ill timed and deemed unnecessary but it reiterated some of my sentiments. Mr Kher is a senior and I will not resort to any mud-slinging towards him, his name calling or his opinions. I might have differences with him but the process of working with him was made pleasant because of his affable nature and commitment. Having said that I have often been self-critical and that is who I am. It helps me evolve and move forward. Nothing or nobody can stop that,” concludes Mehta.
