'Anupam Kher either has verbal diarrhoea or the Alzheimer's: documentary filmmaker Rakesh Sharma lashes out at the actor

New Delhi: An old documentary film on the Gujarat riots of 2002 has brought Anupam Kher and filmmaker Rakesh Sharma at loggerheads. The film 'Final Solution' was a documentary feature on the 2002 riots that shook Gujarat.

During a TV debate on CNN-IBN, documentary filmmaker Anand Patwardhan accused Kher (who was also part of the panel) that he as the Chairman of CBFC back in 2022 had not passed the film Sharma had made and had stalled the release the film till the UPA government came into power. And agitated Kher clarified that he had personally passed the film after he learnt that their was a lot of "hue and cry" over the film. Kher stated that the film was passed without any cuts even though its content could have harmed the communal harmony. Kher also mentioned that filmmaker Rakesh Sharma had sent him a message thanking him for "magnanimity" and wanted to touch his feet in gratitude.

Refuting Kher's statement, Rakesh Sharma posted on his Facebook page accusing Kher of spreading false news. Sharma claimed that it was under a special committee headed by Shyam Benegal, that the Censor Board had finally passed the film. Sharma said, "Anupam Kher either has verbal diarrhoea or the Alzheimer's or both. Such a remark also belies his feudal mindset, where he perhaps saw himself as the King of the Censor Board and expected his subjects to fall at his feet. And for what - for him to finally perform his constitutionally mandated functions, ie, just doing his job, without bias, fear or favour?

On the same show, he says he cleared the film during the BJP's tenure. A blatant lie. The special committee headed by well-known film-maker Shyam Benegal met on Oct 7, 2004. BJP/ NDA had lost the polls; UPA had been in power for 4-5 months."

While Sharma posed questions to Kher on Twitter asking him to speak the truth, the actor, ignoring Sharma's direct questions, simply shared a Youtube video link in which the Sharma admits that it was indeed Kher who had passed his film 'Final Solution'.

Kher, whose wife Kirron Kher is contesting elections on a BJP ticket this year from Chandigarh, had been accused of siding with BJP and therefore not letting Sharma's film release in India.