'Sorry, sir'—Hansal Mehta says he owes Manmohan Singh an apology
Bollywood director Hansal Mehta has mourned the demise of former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh. Dr. Singh (92) passed away on Thursday night at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi. "The nation owes him an apology... Whatever the compulsion or intent, it is a regret I will carry with a very heavy heart," Mehta tweeted. To recall, Mehta played Naveen Patnaik in the deeply controversial film The Accidental Prime Minister, which captured Singh's professional journey.
Mehta's tribute to Dr. Singh's legacy
In his post, Mehta wrote, "More than anyone else, I owe him one (apology)." He added, "Besides your achievements as an economist, Finance Minister and Prime Minister, you were an honorable man—a rare gentleman in a vocation dominated by ruffians." He also quoted journalist Vir Sanghi's tweet with "100+" wherein Sanghvi called TAPM "one of the worst Hindi movies ever made."
Take a look at Mehta's tweet here
Know more about 'The Accidental...'
The Accidental Prime Minister, in which Anupam Kher played Dr. Singh, had received criticism for its portrayal of the former PM and the Congress party had deemed it "BJP propaganda." On Friday, Kher also paid tribute to Dr. Singh, revealing he had initially declined the role due to "political reasons." The film also starred Akshaye Khanna, Suzanne Bernert, and Arjun Mathur, and was directed by Vijay Gutte. It's streaming on ZEE5.
Dr. Singh's transformative role in India's economy
Dr. Singh, who was India's Prime Minister from 2004 to 2014, was a distinguished economist and policymaker. His contribution as Finance Minister during the 1991 economic liberalization period is often regarded as highly transformative for India's economy. Despite his towering achievements, he was often the subject of criticism, especially during his second term as Prime Minister.
India mourns the loss of former Prime Minister
In honor of Dr. Singh, a seven-day state mourning period has been declared across India. The national flag will be flown at half-mast across the country during this period as a mark of respect for the former Prime Minister. Dr. Singh will also be accorded a state funeral and there will be no official entertainment during this period of state mourning.
