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CANADA Newsline SEPTEMBER 19, 2025 | The Indian Eye 38

Q&A WITH PRATIK GANDHI

‘WE WANTED TO TELL THE PERSONAL

STORY MAHATMA GANDHI’

RENU MEHTA

Toronto
reators Hansal Mehta and Sa-
meer Nair saw a powerful sto-
Cry in the life of civil rights lead-
er Mohandas Gandhi and decided to
turn it into a major TV series. The
first two episodes of Gandhi directed
by Hansal Mehta were showcased at
the Toronto International Film Festi-
val (TIFF).
The series is based on two books
by historian Ramachandra Guha:
Gandhi Before India and Gandhi:
The Years That Changed the World.
It shows Gandhi not just as a leader,
but as a curious and thoughtful young
man and how one man’s search for
truth helped change the world.
The character of Gandhi is
played by theatre actor Pratik Gand-
hi, a well-known theatre actor who
has also done several films and web
series. An interesting fact is that his
real wife Bhamini Oza Gandhi plays
the role of his wife Kasturba in the
web series. In an exclusive inter-
view with Renu Mehta, he speaks
about how he prepared for the role
of Gandhi.

How did you mentally and emo-
tionally connect with Gandhi’s journey?
We had a very clear brief. We
When did you first perform Gand-
Can you share how you researched
had to make him human. Let’s not and prepared to portray Gandhi in this web series? hi’s role for the first time?
think we are making the story of a series? I had to tweak my thought pro- I was in primary school and
Mahatma, the Father of the Nation. I transported myself to 1888 and cess from within – each and every dressed as Gandhi in a fancy dress
We took out all these adjectives and the biggest advantage I had was that line, sequence, score, relationship I competition. Since then, I have read
said let’s tell the story of Mohandas I performed Mohandas Karamchand was in the series from the angle of all about him. So I always thought
Karamchand Gandhi who is just an Gandhi on stage for ten years. I Mohan, not Mahatma. what it would be like to become Mo-
18 year old boy with different dreams performed a 100 minute monologue So I had to ensure that even handas K Gandhi at that time.
but entrusted with different responsi- in three different languages. This those words of wisdom should not I always thought he was a super-
bilities, many of which he didn’t want helped me. Somehow, I was per- come from this portrayal because hero at the time, but as I grew up, I
to assume, but he was given the bur- forming unknowing that I would that came later and at the time he realized that no one is born Mahatma.
den. So I just had to create that in- get a chance to play this on a bigger didn’t know he would become such We are all human beings – the one
nocent 18 year old boy. By the way, I screen. a big leader. I had to play with vul- who has the ability and power to get
am 48 years old and it’s very difficult nerability, the fear he had at the time up every time you fail, creates some-
to portray that innocence because How was it different to play the and I do hope that it got translated thing bigger and magical for himself,
life has taught you differently. role of Gandhi for the big screen in a in the role. for the nation and for the world.

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