Anupam Kher on playing Manmohan Singh: It challenged the actor in me

Actor Anupam Kher has played a gamut of roles and characters in his long-standing career. From wise old fathers to murderous villains, Kher has probably read all kinds of parts directed his way by filmmakers. For his next film, The Accidental Prime Minister, he takes on the part of former prime minister Manmohan Singh.

It's not the first time the actor has played a prime minister. He was seen as Rajiv Gandhi in the Tamil film, Kuttrapathirikai (2007). But the actor revealed to his fans in a Twitter how the script of The Accidental Prime Minister appealed to him. He was asked by Anupam Pandey about his first reaction to the role.

He responded, "I was amused and confused in the beginning. But then I read the script. It blew my mind. It challenged the actor in me." The actor also acknowledged the role of the makeup artistes and costume people who worked hard to transform him into Singh. Kher looks uncannily like the former prime minister in the stills and posters released so far.

He was asked whether there was a struggle between head and heart for the role, and he said it had been a brilliant experience and that the script was rare. Since the actor has been aligned with the policies of the current government, he went on to say, "There was no struggle. I am a trained professional actor. I am sincere to my profession."

Furthermore, he shared that his opinion of the embattled public official has changed after playing him in the film. He said, "After shooting for the film I discovered that #DrManmohanSingh has a multidimensional persona."

Another fan, Ankur Purohit, also asked him about the timing of the film's release. Kher stated that the film is due to be released on 21 December 2018 and that he has no idea when the general elections are.

The film, a look into the private life of Mamohan Singh as prime minister from the viewpoint of his advisor Sanjaya Baru, could be seen as a political message. In the chat, Kher also shared that the actor who will play Narendra Modi, the man who replaced Singh, will be revealed in due course.