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The Indian Eye
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         34                                                                                                                OCTOBER 10, 2024
              Gandhi Web Series presented at




                               TIFF by Hansal Mehta





        BY RENU MEHTA                                                                                             I actually enjoyed this so much I
                                                                                                              don’t see anything as a challenge. Ev-
        Toronto
                                                                                                              ery day we were recreating a period,
               ansal  Mehta  series  Gandhi                                                                   reconstructing a timeline – each stage
               was showcased at the Toron-                                                                    from writing to pre-production to
        Hto International Film festi-                                                                         shooting, post production, music – ev-
        val (TIFF) on September 5. Gand-                                                                      erywhere, it was at times daunting to
        hi, planned as an 8-episode series of                                                                 achieve something of this scale.  But it
        three seasons, was presented at TIFF                                                                  lead us somewhere and I knew that it
        with  the  first  two  episodes  from  the                                                            deserves nothing more than my com-
        first season shown to audiences.   The                                                                plete attention, love and passion.
        series tells the story of Mohandas
        Karamchand Gandhi from 1888 to                                                                        How did you collaborate with AR Rah-
        1950 and attempts to explore his per-                                                                 man  on  the  score?    What  moods  or
        sonal journey during that period.                                                                     themes did you aim to evoke through the
            In Season One, we meet Gandhi                                                                     music?
        (played by Pratik Gandhi — no rela-                                                                       I give my people, everyone that I
        tion) as a young man in India, before                                                                 work with a blank canvass.  I showed
        he became known as the Mahatma.                                                                       AR Rahman the initial episodes and
        He’s  already  married  and  expecting                                                                that’s how he agreed to come on
        his first child with his wife Kasturba                                                                board.  And then he asked for a brief
        (played by Bhamini Oza Gandhi, who                                                                    for the music and I told him we don’t
        is married to Pratik in real life). Gand-                                                             have one.  I told him to interpret it,
        hi dreams of studying law in faraway   I will always be grateful to Zee   tik Gandhi was also cast and we saw   and left it up to him.  However, we
        London. With gentle encouragement   TV for that beginning I got.  I made   a lot of success together. So I called   both  agreed  that  we  will  take  tradi-
        from Kasturba, his family agrees to   a lifelong friend in Sanjiv Kapoor and   up Samir Nair and told him you’ve   tional Indian elements from Gujarat
        support him, hoping his legal career   made my love for food and chefs for   got Pratik, you’ve got the books, how   and from Hindustani classical music.
        will lead to a future in local politics.  making recipes and food.  But beyond   come I’m not in it?   I almost bull-  We will take elements and we will con-
            But once in London, Gandhi’s   that, everything that you do are small   dozed my way into the film  temporize it and we will add elements
        world begins to shift. He meets Josiah   lessons that you learn along the way                         of Western classical,  use  traditional
        Oldfield (played by Tom Felton from   and you learn a lot from your failures.     What kind of research was done for this   African instruments.
        the Harry Potter films), a fellow vege-  It’s like Gandhi.  He learns from his   project?  How did you ensure that keep-  Beyond  that,  he  would  play
        tarian, and starts thinking more deep-  own flaws, he confronts his own con-  ing the series historically accurate while   themes and melodies to me and they
        ly about his values and beliefs. Slowly,   tradictions.  All the work that I have   maintaining dramatic momentum?  all were so beautiful.  So he said where
        Gandhi begins to see that his journey   done has been an exploration of me,   The historical elements were all   these will go.  I said – you tell me.  Cre-
        isn’t just about law — it’s about some-  to find myself.            there in Ramachandra Guha’s book.     ating the music for this has been the
        thing  much  bigger,  both  for  himself                            The book covers everything written   most satisfying and just to be around a
        and for India.                    What inspired you to make the Gandhi   about Gandhi and covers records from   maestro like AR Rahman is a privilege.
            Mehta has co-created the series   series?                       his life.  It’s a very comprehensive col-  It’s a huge honour.  He’s a true artist.
        with Sameer Nair as they saw a power-  Gandhi has been a part of our   lection of his life.  My challenge was
        ful story in the life of civil rights lead-  lives for as long as we remember.  He’s   where you find Mohan – the human   Are you happy with the way the series
        er Mohandas Gandhi and decided to   the most famous Indian of all times,   in this.  There was the search for the   have come about?
        turn it into a major TV series.  In an   perhaps the most important person of   personal story. We had a big canvass,   I take as little time as it should
        interview with Renu Mehta, the direc-  the 20th century.  We wanted to focus   but I had to find the personal story.  take.  Every project has to be given
        tor of films like Buckingham Murders,   on his personal journey.  There is a   What was your main focus when you de-  the  amount of time  it needs. Good
        Shahid, Faraaz and Scam 1992 – The   beauty in being able to tell his human   cided to do the series?  planning, good preproduction and
        Harshad Mehta Story  talks about the   story.  These are the stories that you   It was just dramatized.  We can   good post production are important
        series and how he came on board to   live to tell.                  only succeed if we engage and enter-  and these things make the entire thing
        direct these.                                                       tain the audience and we wanted to   very efficient.
                                          What made Pratik Gandhi the right actor   ensure that.   All that  you  expect of   I had a great team and I couldn’t
        You began your journey with the TV show   to portray the Father of the Nation?  an epic is the emotional drama, fam-  ask for anything better.  Ultimately
        Khana  Khazana.  How  did  that  shape   Pratik was already cast before I   ily drama, inspiration and we tried to   whatever you do is a legacy that you
        your growth in storytelling?  Since then,   came on board.  The book rights had   keep all that in the storytelling  leave for your children and ever since
        you have directed award winning projects   already been acquired by Samir Nair                        2012 Shahid premiered here at TIFF,
        like Shahid, Aligarh and so many other   of Applause Entertainment.  We did   What was the biggest challenge when you   I’m hoping I can leave my legacy be-
        features.                         Scam 1992 together in which Pra-  started doing the series?         hind for my children.


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