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The Indian Eye
CANADANewsline
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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