Going Behind the scenes

Praising the interview, former BJP strongman Shatrughan Sinha says, “It was a masterstroke for the PM to choose the one and only patriotic superstar Akshay Kumar, who had done his homework well and asked questions that made our Prime Minister appear warm and human. Further, I think it is a matter of great pride for our film industry to have one of us being chosen to interview the Prime Minister. It’s about time actors are taken seriously.”

Meanwhile, sources in the Congress say they never expected this masterstroke from the PM. “That one interview will do the BJP more good this election than a thousand political rallies,” says the source.

So how did Akshay Kumar come into the picture? The idea, according to sources close  to the PMO, was to get a superstar with a nationalistic image and Akshay Kumar fitted  the bill perfectly. “It was the Prime Minister’s own wish to be interviewed by Akshay Kumar, because the actor fits the image as a hero of the masses. Other stars like Salman Khan and Aamir Khan were also considered but Salman’s image was not really conducive to a patriotic non-political casual tête-a-tête with the Prime Minister. The same goes for Aamir,“ informs a source from the BJP, while revealing that Aamir Khan visited the PM recently.

“Aamir is keen on establishing his credentials as a true nationalist after the faux pas he committed by telling the world his wife wanted to leave the country. But as far as this historic interview is concerned, the PM wanted only Akshay Kumar,” adds the source.

Apparently, Akshay’s preparation for the interview was very basic. “He consulted  everyone around him from his wife and children to his staff and family members with one question - ‘If you met the Prime Minister, what would you ask him?’ Based on what people said, Akshay prepared a sketchy mental questionnaire. But most of what we heard him ask PM Modi was impromptu and spontaneous based on the way the conversation flowed,” says a source close to Akshay, who reveals that the actor was served tea during the conversation, even though he doesn’t drink any beverage except for water and juices.