NEW DELHI: Actor Anupam Kher who is essaying the role of former prime minister Manmohan Singh in the upcoming movie The Accidental Prime Minister on Friday brushed aside the objections of the Congress saying that more protests mean more publicity.


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"More they protest, more publicity they will give to the film. The book has been out since 2014, no protests were held since then, so the film is based on that," he said.


He also said that instead of protesting, the Congress should send its members in big numbers to watch the film as it is based on one of their leaders. 


"It is based on a Congress leader, they should be happy. They should go in huge numbers to watch the film. There are dialogues like ' main desh ko bechunga?' which gives an impression that Manmohan Singh is a great man," Kher added.


He also hit out at Congress president Rahul Gandhi claiming that he spoke of freedom of expression but is not stopping his own party members objecting to it. "I had recently read a tweet by Rahul Gandhi in which he spoke about freedom of expression. I think he should scold his people for protesting," he said.


Defending the content of the film, Kher said that facts cannot be changed. "If we make a film on the issue of Jallianwala Bagh or The Holocaust or any historic incident, we can`t change the history or the facts. That`s what we have done here," the 63-year-old said," he said.


The film is based on a book by Sanjaya Baru, Manmohan Singh's media advisor between 2004 and 2008. "The book is written by a man who was very close to the prime minister at that time. This book was either ignored or people moved on after its release. So why this hue and cry now?" he questioned. 


Kher further said he is just an actor in this movie and has tried to play his part in the most efficient way. "I have worked so hard in this movie for my look and everything that even my mother could not identify in this look," he added.


The trailer of the movie, which came out on Thursday, drew a lot of flak from the opposition Congress party which poked holes in the portrayal of the former prime minister. The party also criticised the teaser saying that the movie shows Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi in wrong light.