The screening of Anupam Kher starrer The Accidental Prime Minister has been cancelled at a Kolkata theatre and in Ludhiana. According to the police, the screening of Dr Manmohan Singh’s biopic was restricted due to security reasons amid protest demonstrations by Youth Congress activists.

The show at the Hind Cinema near central Kolkata’s Chandni Chowk area was cancelled after screening for just 10 minutes on its first day.

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“The afternoon screening of ‘The Accidental Prime Minister’ has been cancelled due to security reasons. There was an agitation by a certain group outside the hall,” a senior officer of Kolkata Police told IANS.

State Youth Congress leadership claimed the content and the title of the film are derogatory towards Singh and other senior leaders of Congress and demanded that the film is banned.

“The tile of the film itself is derogatory. What did the filmmaker want to imply by calling Manmohan Singh an accidental prime minister? Close to 100 activists of Youth Congress in Kolkata protested in front of the theatre. It is good the screening has been stopped,” Bengal Youth Congress President Shadab Khan told IANS.

On the other hand, in Ludhiana, activists belonging to the Congress held a protest outside the Pavilion Mall following which the multiplex management did not start the show to prevent any untoward incident.

Local police and administration officials were present when the Congress’ protest took place. The Accidental Prime Minister was, however, screened in multiplexes in Chandigarh, around 130 km from Ludhiana.

The biopic, directed by Vijay Ratnakar Gutte, was released on 11 January. The film is based on a book with the same title written by Sanjaya Baru who was the media advisor to Manmohan Singh when he was the Prime Minister.

Actor Anupam Kher portrays the role of Singh while Akshaye Khanna stars as Baru. German actor Suzanne Bernert is essaying the role of UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi in the film. Divya Seth is essaying the role of Manmohan Singh’s wife Gursharan Kaur while Ram Avatar Bhardawaj has played former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

-With agency inputs