Anupam Kher: Devoted six months just to study script

Anupam Kher as Dr Manmohan Singh in the film

Even with 45 days left before he can wrap up his upcoming political biographical film, Anupam Kher has managed to keep curiosity around The Accidental Prime Minister alive by sprinkling his Twitter feed with grabs and videos from the sets. While the makeup artistes working on Kher are to credit for his uncanny resemblance to former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh, the actor, on his part, is also to applaud for nabbing his mannerisms.

"I had seen 50 hours of footage of our former prime minister to ape his body language," Kher tells mid-day. He says that while essaying the role of a person who "existed in the black-and-white" era is difficult, playing the part of someone who is alive is more challenging. "The man was our PM for 10 years. He was on TV 24/7. We all know how he blinks, walks and talks. So, I had to imbibe these characteristics perfectly." Singh, says Kher, isn't particularly demonstrative with his expression. Yet, the impact he leaves on people can be everlasting. It was these factors that made his task even more challenging, given that it upped the chances of going amiss.

Dr Manmohan Singh

"My reference point was Sanjay Baru's book [on which this film is based]. The script [penned by Hansal Mehta] is my Bible. Our research left us with so much content that I had to work on only the material for six months." The audience's appreciation of his first look as the politician was motivation to work harder. In order to internalise his energy, Kher would even wake up at 5.30 am to practise yoga and meditate. News updates are testimony that a fair share of effort is being put in by all the teams working on director Vijay Gutte's bilingual (English and Hindi). And Kher admits that this investment is fitting, given that "movie viewing is no longer seen as a picnic" for viewers.

"The audience is particular about what they should watch. It was important that we worked on a project that was contextually strong." Even if that meant giving his nod to play the part of a politician whose ideologies he doesn't abide by. "But, an actor cannot be biased when approaching a role. This will be the most important film of our times. It's being helmed on the same scale that Gandhi [Richard Attenborough's 1982 Brit-Indian venture] was mounted on."

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