Several actors have essayed the role of Mahatma Gandhi and will continue to do so; who can forget Ben Kingsley’s portrayal in Richard Attenborough’s Gandhi (1982) or Dilip Prabhavalkar’s outing in Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. (2003). Actor Pratik Gandhi, is set to star in Hansal Mehta’s upcoming Gandhi series co-starring Tom Felton, while actor Chirag Vohra will play the role of Mahatma in Nikkhil Advani’s Freedom At Midnight. Among other portrayals, actor Darshan Jariwala and Surendra Rajan have previously portrayed Gandhi on screen and uncovered different facets of his persona. We speak to them about their expereinces.

Pratik Gandhi

As an actor, it is fulfilling to portray a character like Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi whose life witnessed so many ups and downs and emotional turmoil. Sure, the expectations and pressures are high, but I have always focused on exploring his journey from a neutral point of view and showcasing him as a human being. That was my approach when I portrayed him for the first time on stage (in the 2015 Gujarati one-man play, Mohan No Masalo). And that’s what I’m doing in Hansal Mehta’s series.

Chirag Vohra

Essaying Gandhiji’s role is a huge responsibility. In Nikkhil Advani’s Freedom At Midnight, I tried to portray him with utmost honesty. As I prepared for the role, there were many challenges ahead of me. Appearance-wise, I had to lose 14kg of weight for the role, and for scenes depicting his last days and the ones where he was fasting, I had to lose two more kilos. To further prepare for the role, I read his autobiography (Satyana Prayogo Athva Atmkatha) and also watched some of his old footage to understand his body language and style of speech.

Darshan Jariwala

I was delighted that the Mahatma’s role was offered to me in Gandhi, My Father (2007). As far as this film is concerned, I can understand the irony — the Father of the Nation could not become a father to his own son, for the sake of his unshakable ideals. Portraying his character from the limited perspective of his son was a watershed moment in my career, and I feel blessed to be a part of this film.

Surendra Rajan

I have played Gandhiji in as many as 14 ads and films. I took it up as a responsibility, and studied him well since I wanted my performance to reflect his persona — not just in dialogue delivery, but body language, too. Whenever I would act, I would feel that I am Gandhi; that is how I was able to deliver a performance that wasn’t mechanical. Other than ads, I have essayed the role for some movies down South and a show for BBC London (The Last Days of Raj). Playing the role where he was shown in a negative light — The Legend of Bhagat Singh (2002) and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose: The Forgotten Hero (2005) — was challenging, as I had to protect his image, too.