GANDHI REPRISING GANDHI

Pratik Gandhi's portrayal of Mahatma Gandhi in Hansal Mehta's next earned him a standing ovation at the recently concluded Toronto International Film Festival where it was the first Indian series to be selected for the primetime slate. But this is not the first time Gandhi is playing Gandhi—it is probably his hundredth, if not more!

- Ananya Ghosh

After proving his chameleon-like skill with movies as diverse as Madgaon Express, Do Aur Do Pyaar, Dedh Bigha Zameen, and Agni last year and following it up this year with Dhoom Dhaam, Phule and Saare Jahan Se Accha, Pratik Gandhi is all set to play the role of a lifetime. The Hansal Mehta directed multi-season web series, based on historian Ramachandra Guha's acclaimed books Gandhi Before India and Gandhi: The Years that Changed the World, will see him play the Father Of The Nation, focusing on his formative years. Not only has the iconic character been played by actors like Rajit Kapoor, Naseeruddin Shah, and of course Ben Kingsley, but it is also a role his entire career has prepared him for; Pratik has been playing the part in the biographical 90-minute one-man play titled Mohan No Masalo (Gujarati, or Mohan's Masala in English/Hindi), for over a decade now. Today, Gandhi has already made history as the first Indian series to premiere in the Primetime Programme at the 50th Toronto International Film Festival, where it received a standing ovation. The project marks the culmination of Pratik's years of learning and experimentation while portraying Mohan on stage. And so, we caught up with Gandhi to talk about Gandhi. Excerpts:

So, it seems this is the role you have been preparing for your entire lifetime as an actor!