Despite poor reviews I had to see the Accidental Prime Minister. It was a given that movie may or may not be politically motivated but the reviews would definitely be. I stand vindicated as the ‘intellectual superiors’ of our society one after another thrashed this film with 1/1.5 stars....the same who would rate a Dilwale / Zero 3. Talk about propaganda, well there you have it :). Second and more important reason was that I had read and loved the book so I didn’t want to miss the movie for sure.
Ok here s my review of the movie - and I would do so in parts and rate each part individually.
A. Content.
B. Performances
C. Screenplay
D. Other technical aspects
CONTENT (4/5)
I am happy to note that the movie stays true to the contents of the book. There is nothing that is particularly surprising or scandalous considering most of us who were adults and watched the news during UPA times will have very clear memories of most of the incidents played out in the film. Aside from a stray dialogue between MMS and his wife or MMS & Sonia, most incidents in the film are fairly picked from the book or matters reported in news - the Nuclear Deal, the PMO turf war, corruption scandals, leaking of internal letters, set up of the unconstitutional NAC or Radia tapes.
So while its representation can be called fictionalized, the incidents in the movie are anything but fiction.
PERFORMANCES - (3/5)
Anupam Kher delivers a good Performance as do the rest of the star cast. The cast does share a close resemblance to the real life characters both in looks and mannerisms - they didn’t have to, but the fact that they do, does create for a surreal experience. I did feel sorry for the portrayal of the PM when he delivered his speeches in the movie, but when I recall the speeches of the then real life PM, I have to acknowledge that the portrayal is quite accurate.
Would you judge Colin Firth so for stammering and stuttering helplessly in his portrayal of King George VI in The King Speech. He wasn’t mocking the King, he was portraying him on celluloid. So is Anupam Kher and he does justice to the role. He plays the strong bold Manmohan Singh (during his early PM days) just as well as the beaten and betrayed (by his own party) during his final years in the PMs chair.
It is unfortunate however that despite an ensemble of good actors, you fail to truly connect and empathize with any of the characters in the film. And that is the failing of the screenplay.
SCREENPLAY - (1.5/5)
watching the movie was like seeing chapters from the book being enacted on screen. Each depiction true to the book but together lacking a coherent screenplay.
And while this may have been fine if they the movie was a documentary but the film is mounted as a commercial project and absence of a coherent narrative was a disengaging experience.
To be fair the Accidental PM- the book is not a “story” it’s s collection and reproduction of incidents during UPA1 times. Translating this book into a movie would come with one big challenge for any filmmaker - to weave a coherent screenplay one would have to take creative liberties in plugging gaps in the narrative And that would have meant misrepresentation of facts on celluloid. So while I would admonish the filmmakers for shoddy scriptwriting but I give them credit for staying true to the contents of the book by large.
TECHNICAL ASPECTS
Ok. I don’t think I have much to comment on the other technical aspects. The VFX in the movie were strictly ok as was the lighting and the sets. I don’t know what insides of these buildings actually look like, but could they look like the sets in the movie? Yeah, I suppose so.
One very annoying aspect of the movie however was its background score - it was loud, consistent and jarring, almost distracting! Could have done with a lot less of it.
Overall Accidental PM is a bold movie but a venture that probably should have been taken by more seasoned professionals - it could have been something much more! I would rate the film 2.5 for its ambition, good performances, a fairly engaging experience in most parts and a reasonable job of representing a great book on celluloid.
Lastly I have a point of view on the timing of this film. Many people find timing of the movie politically motivated. I felt the timing was commercially motivated :).
Such a controversial film is likely to get more footfalls and thus make more money during the election year than any other year.
This is no different from a spate of family movies releasing around Christmas and romantic films around Valentines Day, patriotic films around 4th July - in the US.
Timing of this film, to my mind, is just about money.
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