Why Sherlock star is cutting ties with tycoon who gave him £1million

SHERLOCK star Benedict Cumberbatch is so achingly right-on that he once stunned a London theatre audience with an on-stage rant against the ‘utter disgrace of the British Government’ for not doing more to help Syrian refugees.

The Old Harrovian actor has, however, been prepared to jump into bed with family members of very colourful figures in a bid to become a successful film producer.

I can disclose that Cumberbatch, who declared ‘f*** the politicians’ during his diatribe at the Barbican, has accepted almost £1 million in funding for his film company from the son of a controversial politician. He has been in business with Mokhzani Mahathir, the multi-millionaire son of the Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, who is known around the world for his controversial anti-Semitic views.

As recently as last October, Mokhzani’s father called Jews ‘hook-nosed’ and questioned whether six million had been killed in the Holocaust, claiming it was actually four million.

In another recent interview he said: ‘“Anti-Semitic” is a term that is invented to prevent people from criticising the Jews for doing wrong things.’

His son Mokhzani is a director of SunnyMarch Holdings, which Cumberbatch set up in 2014, and has invested £1 million in return for shares via his company Kencana Capital.

SunnyMarch is behind a number of projects including BBC’s The Child In Time, and Sky’s Patrick Melrose, both of which starred Cumberbatch.

Malaysia has long been criticised for its lack of human rights.

When I asked Cumberbatch if he had any concerns about accepting money from Mokhzani Mahathir, the actor told me: ‘I was shocked and disappointed to learn today of statements made by Dr Mahathir Mohamad articulating views that I find abhorrent and unacceptable.

‘Our company has never had dealings with Dr Mohamad — rather, our relationship has always been with his son Mokhzani Mahathir.

‘As a company, we have already begun the process of fully severing our relationship with Mr Mahathir so that he will no longer be involved with SunnyMarch.’