Bollywood veteran Anupam Kher expressed his sadness over the demise of former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh in a heartfelt social media tribute on Friday.
In his post, Kher wrote, “Deeply saddened to know about the demise of former #PrimeMinister of India #DrManmohanSingh! Having studied him for more than a year for the movie #TheAccidentalPrimeMinister, it felt that I actually spent that much time with him.”
He went on to add, “He was inherently a good man. Personally completely honest, great economist and a very humble person. Some can say may be not an astute politician! My heartfelt condolences to his family. Om Shanti!”
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Sharing a video on Twitter, Kher reflected on his experience of preparing for the role of Singh in the 2019 political drama ‘The Accidental Prime Minister‘ and praised the late leader’s humility, integrity and honesty. “To portray a character truthfully, you have to go inside the person. Dr Manmohan was inherently a good man, gentle, bright, brilliant, and kind,” he said.
Kher addressed the controversy surrounding the film, in which he played Singh. “When the film was first offered to me, I rejected it for various reasons, including political concerns. I thought people might think I did it to mock him,” he explained.
However, he ultimately accepted the role, aiming to portray Singh authentically. “If you see The Accidental Prime Minister, you’ll discover I tried to imbibe all his qualities—his brilliance, kindness, and humility.”
He added, “When the film was finally made, I was very happy that I did justice to it. The subject may be controversial, but the man was not.”
Beyond films, the actor also recalled his meeting with the former PM at some events. Recalling their interactions, he shared, “He was very generous and kind with his praise for my work.”
“I will miss the man with the blue turban,” Kher said and concluded by saying, “The nation has lost a very honest human being and a great leader.”
Despite Kher’s tribute, many fans took to social media to criticise his portrayal of Singh in the film, accusing the actor of disrespecting the former Prime Minister. Some claimed the movie, which was perceived as politically charged, misrepresented Singh and used him as a tool for political commentary.
A comment on Kher’s post read, “You disrespected him. Made him look so weak by showing things that weren’t even in the book. Shame on you.” Another user added, “You know for a fact that the movie was made only to mock him.”
“Referring to THAT film which smeared Dr Singh’s character isn’t really the best way to pay your tributes to him,” said another.
Manmohan Singh passed away at AIIMS, Delhi, on Thursday evening at the age of 92 due to age-related medical conditions. He had a sudden loss of consciousness at home after which he was rushed to the AIIMS Delhi.
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The mortal remains of the former PM will be kept at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters in Delhi for public viewing.
Singh, renowned for introducing the 1991 economic liberalisation reforms as the Finance Minister of India, will be cremated near Rajghat, at the location where the last rites of Prime Ministers are performed.
