From Naseeruddin Shah to 'The Accidental Prime Minister,' Paresh Rawal comments on the latest controversies

Disagreeing with Naseeruddin Shah's recent remark on freedom of speech in India, actor and BJP Lok Sabha MP Paresh Rawal said that if Shah is allowed to freely express his views in the country, it means there is freedom of speech. In an interaction with ANI on Tuesday, Rawal said, "Conflicts happen. It is a part of human nature. But I don't agree with the idea that this country is not worth living in."

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"Ye sab bolne ke baad bhi aapke saath koi haadsa nahi hua iska matlab freedom of speech... log pyar se rehe rahe hain. (After saying all this, you are still safe, clearly shows that freedom of speech prevails and people are living in harmony)," the veteran actor asserted.

A few days back, Shah had triggered a controversy by his comments made in a video uploaded by the Amnesty India. In the 2.14-minute-long video, Shah can be heard alleging that in India, artists and actors were "being stifled" and "journalists being silenced."

Speaking about the ongoing controversy surrounding Anupam Kher starrer 'The Accidental Prime Minister' Rawat asserted that nobody can stop the film. "If the censor board has given a certificate, nobody can stop it. How can you stop the film when you did not raise an objection to the film? The teaser clearly says that the film is based on Sanjay Baru's film," he said.

Stating that Congress was responsible for maligning the image of the former prime minister the actor said, "If Manmohan Singh's image was maligned, it was because of the Congress. This film will probably show how helpless Manmohan Singh was during his tenure."

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The trailer of former prime minister Manmohan Singh's biopic, which released in December, drew a lot of flak from the Congress party. The political controversy over 'The Accidental Prime Minister' caught media attention after the BJP shared its trailer calling the movie a "riveting tale of how a family held the country to ransom for 10 years."

Directed by debutant Vijay Gutte, the film is all set to release on January 11.