Anupam Kher's political-drama The Accidental Prime Minister gets a decent start

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New Delhi: Vijay Gutte's political drama 'The Accidental Prime Minister' (TAPM) featuring Anupam Kher and Akshaye Khanna, which released in theatres on Friday, saw a decent opening of Rs 4.50 crore. Written by Mayank Tewari, the film based on the 2014 memoir of the same name by Sanjaya Baru, who was the media adviser of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during 2004-2008.

Anupam plays the role of Manmohan Singh, German import Suzanne Bernert is seen as Sonia Gandhi and Arjun Mathur has played Rahul Gandhi. The role of Baru has been essayed by Akshaye. It is the tell-all account of Singh during his first term as the Prime Minister of India from 2004-2009.

Though the film has received mixed reviews from the critics, it has fared well on the ticket window. The film collected Rs 4.50 crore on Friday, which is a decent number. However, it is to be seen if the film sees growth in coming days as it faces stiff competition from 'Simmba' and 'Uri'. 

Trade analyst Taran Adarsh shared the Box Office collection of the film on Twitter, writing, "#TheAccidentalPrimeMinister picked up from evening shows onwards… Records decent numbers on Day 1… Fri ₹ 4.50 cr. India biz. #TAPM."

#TheAccidentalPrimeMinister picked up from evening shows onwards... Records decent numbers on Day 1... Fri ₹ 4.50 cr. India biz. #TAPM — taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) January 12, 2019

The film clashed with Vicky Kaushal's starrer 'Uri: The Surgical Strike' which emerged as the winner by collecting Rs 8 crore on day one. 

TAPM courted controversies after the makers unveiled the first trailer of the film on social media. Several petitions were filed in court seeking to impose a ban on the film release and its trailer. However, the petitions were dismissed by the court with a bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice V K Rao saying that the petitioner has no locus standi to file the plea and private interest was involved in it.

In Punjab's Ludhiana city, the film's screening was stopped in a multiplex following protests. The activists held a protest outside the Pavilion Mall following which the multiplex management did not start the show to prevent untoward incidents. The film was, however, screened in multiplexes in Chandigarh.

In Kolkata, the screening of the film was cancelled at a theatre due to security reasons amid protest demonstrations by youth Congress activists, police said. According to the viewers at the Hind Cinema near central Kolkata`s Chandni Chowk area, the show was cancelled after screening for just 10 minutes on its opening day.