“The Accidental Prime Minister” Review: A series of moments, rather than a story.

“The Accidental Prime Minister” Review: A series of moments, rather than a story.

Based on the book “The Accidental Prime Minister”, more than an adaptation, this is a film that has taken some of the more crucial moments from the book. There is no narrative as such, and only a series of moments. We aren’t really following the journey of Manmohan Singh as the Prime Minister, since he is much larger than what the film showcases, but we are instead simply focused on certain moments where he is seemingly “powerless” amongst the Gandhi dynasty. We never see Manmohan Singhs, the finance expert. We see a man who has genuine care for the country, but is handcuffed and incapable of really taking charge. He comes across as nice, but naïve. It’s as if he was overpowered, and that control wasn’t ever really in his hands.  This is what the film is really about.

How much of what is shown is actually true, is debatable, but the purpose of this review is to analyze the film from a story telling perspective. First, there is no story per say. Like I mentioned, it’s a series of moments. From the Nuclear deal, to the 2g and 3g scams, to the petty politics, to the ruthless, power hungry depiction of the Gandhi family, this film is like skimming through the pages of the 10 year UPA, Manmohan Singh government. Anupam Kher is competent. The effort can be seen. However, Akshaye Khanna, who plays Manmohan Singhs media advisor Sanjaya Baru, holds the movie together. The way he struggles to manage Dr. Singhs public image is an interesting aspect of the film, above everything else. Another strength of the film is the casting. Everyone looks the character, especially Priyanka Gandhi played by actress Aahana Kumra. Special mention to the Casting of doctor Abdul Kalam as well!

The biggest flaw of this film, other than the fact that there is no real narrative is the overall making. The execution could have been much better. Detail is lacking, both in the production design and in the story telling technique, cutting back and forth from real, grainy footage, to the actual film. The editing could have been better as well. The cinematography is simply ok. There are no songs in the film, but the background score works with this kind of movie. One thing that viewers can be sure of is that they will never be bored. The film has a decent pace and a good energy to it. Plus, there is a certain level of curiosity and “throwback” value to such kinds of films. However, if there were more grey characters in the film instead of just black and white, it could have been more intriguing.

Overall, “The Accidental Prime Minister” is more like a docu-drama, highlighting moments of the UPA era, rather than a proper film. It’s worth seeing for curiosity sake, but nothing more then that.

Rating: 2 Stars.