Actor
Akshay Kumar engaged in a 'non-political', candid
conversation with Prime Minister
Narendra Modi on Wednesday morning. The the 51-year-old actor began the conversation by asking the PM about what he does during the day besides his responsibilities, his love for mangoes and his sleep schedule.
Does the PM love mangoes?
Kumar started the conversation by asking the PM if he liked eating mangoes. In response to this,
PM Modi got nostalgic and spoke about how he used to enjoy mangoes as a child. However, PM said, he needed to keep a tab on his diet.
What would Modi be if not a PM?
The 'Kesari' actor then went on to ask if PM Modi ever thought about leading the country. To his surprise, PM Modi revealed that he never thought about it. His non-political family background and becoming the PM, Modi said, wasn't easy for people to digest. Instead, he once believed he would be a 'sanyasi' or would want to serve the army. He said that even if he got a regular job, his mother would be just as happy. He revealed that as a child, he never received any guidance.
Does the PM ever feel angry?
Later, following the PM's reputation of a strict and stern leader, the 'Singh Is King' actor asked if he ever feels angry. PM Modi answered this by saying that it's a part of human nature. However, he never got a chance to express his anger. As a commoner, a peon or a Prime Minister, the former Gujarat Chief Minister said that he never got a chance to show anger. Moreover, he never experiences angry as such.
Strict PM or disciplined leader?
Responding to his strict and stern leader reputation, PM Modi said that he is more of a disciplined person and not strict leader. He said that he is not one who likes to look down upon someone. Instead, he said that he chooses to teach people, work with his team and learn more from them.
Family
time
Proceeding to the PM's family, the National Award-winning actor asked if Modi felt like spending more time with his family. Modi answered it by saying that he left family at a very early age. He explained that he was trained in a completely different way and did not leave his home as a PM. Therefore, he saw everything differently.
PM's take on work culture
The 'Hera Pheri' actor's next question from Modi was regarding his humour, if the trait is present given his stern headmaster reputation. PM Modi responded to this by saying that his reputation is incorrect. He stressed on the importance of discipline and said that trait does not come from imposition. His habit of not taking a call while being with someone is a part of that discipline, Modi explained.
Speaking on the lines of work culture, PM Modi explained that for him it develops the way the leader operates.
Relationship with the opposition
PM Modi then went on to his relationship with opposition leaders. He revealed that some people of the opposing parties are his friends. Talking about his relationship with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Modi said that 'Didi' sends him Bengali sweets every year.
PM's post-retirement plans
Talking about his post-retirement plans, PM Modi narrated an incident with his cabinet where he was asked the same question and how he responded to it. Modi explained that he always saw responsibilities as his life. He stressed that every person, at every stage, must have a mission in life.
What was the most-valuable thing Modi brought to the PM house?
Kumar asked Modi about the most-valuable thing he brought to the PM house, and the leader replied by saying that he holds one benefit which no one else did before. He said that being the CM of Gujarat for a long period of time was his biggest benefit. Modi explained that by stressing on the importance of the experience he gained by being Gujarat's longest-serving CM.
Does the PM feel sleep-deprived?
The 'Padman' actor, while taking a walk with the PM, asked him about his sleep schedule. Laying stress on the importance of a seven-hour sleep, Kumar asked how the PM manages work by sleeping for only three to three and half hours every day.
In his answer, the PM revealed that all of his friends, including former US President Barack Obama, ask him the same question. Modi revealed that when he first met Obama, the 57-year-old asked him the same question and continues to do so each time the two meet.
PM Modi then explained that over the years his body adapted to the routine and now he does not feel the need to sleep for more number of hours. Adding to his post-retirement plans, Modi revealed that to begin with, he would like to learn ways of increasing his sleep span.
How does the PM deal with a cold?
PM Modi opened up about a leading tough life during his talk with the 'Bhool Bhulaiya' actor. He said that because of his experiences, he never knew what medication is about. Therefore, he used other ways to deal with illness. Massaging his body was one of them.
Modi in vogue
Moving on to the PM's style statement, Kumar asked him where his 'kurta-pyjama' and jacket trend begin from. Turns out, it emerged from the PM's efforts to save space. He revealed that he removed the sleeves of his jackets in order to save space and that's how the trend began.
Modi also offered an explanation for wearing an upside down wrist watch. He said that this was his way of showing courtesy to the person he is meeting or talking to. An upside down watch saved him from looking at the time constantly. This, he explained, is a way of showing the other person that one is not in a rush.
Early life
PM Modi talked about his early life experiences. He opened up about being insecure due to poverty. He said that he did not have shoes to wear. His maternal uncle bought him a pair of white canvas shoes and they used to get dirty very easily. To clean them, Modi said, he stayed back after school and used discarded pieces of chalk to keep his shoes clean.
Stint with social media and memes
Kumar's next question from PM Modi was about his presence on social media and meme circulation. Modi, who is very active on social media, revealed that it's his way of knowing what is going on in the world.
Modi also made a witty remark while revealing that he follows
Twitter handle of Kumar and his wife Twinkle Khanna too, who expresses her anger on the PM on the micro-blogging site.
The 'Dhadkan' actor then showed PM Modi some of the memes based on him. Modi revealed that to him, it was a way of seeing people's creativity and knowing their thoughts.
Few minutes before the talk went live, a small clip was aired on Instagram. Here, Kumar spoke to the PM about his sleep schedule.
Earlier on Tuesday, hours after the third phase of the
Lok Sabha 2019 elections concluded, Kumar announced that he would be engaging in a 'candid and completely non political' chat with PM Modi. The 51-year-old actor made the announcement on Twitter saying that it will offer a 'breather' to the PM amidst elections. He also said that the conversation will help viewers 'discover' some facts about Modi.
The 'Kesari' actor wrote "While the whole country is talking elections and politics, here's a breather. Privileged to have done this candid and COMPLETELY NON POLITICAL freewheeling conversation with our PM @narendramodi."
More Politics, Please! Modi Biopic, 'Thackeray' & Other Films That Courted Controversy
Election Mode
16 Apr, 2019
It's poll season in India.
The 2019 multi-phased Lok Sabha elections have kicked off across the country. And it seems that political fervour has found flavour on screen as well. Biopics and films on political intrigue have created quite a buzz on social media, and away from it as well.
This year, so far, has witnessed the announcement and release of three such movies on top political figures of the country across decades. While some of these have been deemed offensive, others have been touted as political propaganda. Hailed by fans, slammed by critics and trolls, these films nevertheless have been talked about.
Here's a look at films with political hues that have courted controversy:
'PM Narendra Modi'
16 Apr, 2019
Directed by Omung Kumar, 'PM Narendra Modi' is a biopic based on the life of India's 14th Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. The movie which is jointly produced by Suresh Oberoi, Sandip Ssingh and Anand Pandit, stars Vivek Oberoi in a pivotal role.The film, earlier slated to release on April 5, landed in trouble when Congress spokesperson Aman Panwar wrote to the Election Commission seeking a ban on the film on grounds of violation of the model code of conduct of the elections. Earlier, his plea was rejected by two high courts which then pushed him to move to the EC.The plea, which was heard by the Supreme Court on April 8, was not entertained on grounds of being 'premature'. The SC said so because the film had not been certified by Censor Board. Later, the film body gave a 'U' certificate to the movie. However, the EC then intervened and stalled the film's release till the LS polls concluded in May-end. In response to this, the makers moved to SC and the apex court requested EC to watch the movie and take a call on its release. A decision on the same is now due on April 22.
'The Tashkent Files'
16 Apr, 2019
Vivek Agnihotri's 'The Tashkent Files' was served a legal notice two days before its release on April 12. The movie is based on the mysterious death of former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri. The late PM's grandsons sent a notice to the makers seeking a stay on its release stating that the film tries to create unnecessary controversy and can hurt sentiments. However, the film released last Friday and received an average review from critics.
'The Accidental Prime Minister'
16 Apr, 2019
Vijay Ratnakar Gutte's 'The Accidental Prime Minister' is a biopic on former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The movie was inspired by a memoir of the same name by Sanjay Baru who was a media advisor to the former PM. The film featured Anupam Kher as Singh, Akshaye Khanna as Baru and released on January 11 this year. However, the film had to go through a rough patch before it made to the theatres.On January 3, a lawyer filed a case against the movie in Bihar court saying that the movie tarnishes the reputation of a few top officials. The plea also said that the lead actors have damaged the image of the former PM, his advisor, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Vadra. Some critics said that the movie is pro-BJP and anti-Congress.Later, a Delhi-based designer named Pooja Mahajan filed a plea through her counsel seeking a ban on the movie's trailer. Her plea said that the movie violated Section 416 of the Indian Penal Code. Mahajan's PIL said that the movie's makers may not have taken permission from Singh, Rahul and Sonia Gandhi. The petition also said that a no-objection certificate needs to be procured from the CBFC for such films. However, no such certificate was obtained from the certification board. She requested the court to stall the movie's trailer on Google and YouTube and quash the certification provided.Nevertheless, the movie went on the floors on January 11 and received mixed reviews from critics. While some hailed the movie as 'well-crafted', others felt that it was not engagingly dramatic.
'Thackeray'
16 Apr, 2019
Abhijit Pansey's directorial 'Thackeray' is a biopic on Shiv Sena founder, Bal Thackeray. The movie featured Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Amrita Rao in pivotal roles and released on January 25 this year, which marked the late leader's 93rd birthday.However, before hitting the theatres, the movie faced a tough time with the CBFC. In December last year, CBFC chief Prasoon Joshi objected to three dialogues in the movie which was scripted by a senior Shiv Sena leader, Sanjay Raut. Two of these were related to Thackeray's statements on the Babri Masjid and South Indians. However, Raut refused to edit this part of the film.The film's reception leaned towards the negative side, however, it was still hailed as a good presentation solely due to Siddiqui's fine portrayal of Thackeray.