We need to make more political films, says ‘on-screen Sanjaya Baru’ Akshaye Khanna
Mumbai, Jan 5: Seasoned actor Akshaye Khanna feels there is a need to make political films in the country and it is a "tragedy" that India does not see enough of films of that genre despite being the a "vibrant and colourful democracy" and a "political country".
Khanna plays the role of Sanjaya Baru, former prime minister Manmohan Singh's former media advisor who penned the book "The Accidental Prime Minister: The Making and Unmaking of Manmohan Singh" which was released in April 2014, in the film by the name of 'The Accidental Prime Minister' this month.
The film, which features veteran actor Anupam Kher portraying the role of the former premier, has sparked a controversy with the Opposition accusing it as one which shows the Congress in a bad light by the means of showing Singh in a bad light, ahead of the Lok Sabha election.
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Speaking to Quint, Khanna said he was never apprehensive of the film and did it because he thinks such types of films were not made before. He said the Indian audience has remained deprived of the opportunity to witness such films while those open doors for more such films. "If the Indian society chooses to see such films, they should be allowed to watch it," he said.
He told Quint while we choose to side with one politician or another in other mediums like books, articles and newspapers, the same opportunity is not there when it comes to films.
Khanna said Singh had given permission to Baru to write his book but after he read it, he did not talk to him ever again. "It is a cute story of two good friends," the son of late actor-politician Vinod Khanna, who was an MP from Gurdaspur, said.