Manoj Bajpayee is set to play Mahatma Gandhi for the first time in his career in Sudhir Mishra’s next feature film. The yet-to-be-titled project will focus on a specific 21-day period around India’s Independence,
with Mishra choosing to examine Gandhi’s decisions at a time when the country was undergoing one of its most consequential transitions.
The film also marks Mishra’s return to the big screen. Rather than attempting a conventional account of Gandhi’s life, the filmmaker is narrowing the story down to a brief but significant period and examining the man behind the historical figure.
Sudhir Mishra Reveals What His Gandhi Film Is About
Speaking about the project, Mishra said, as quoted by IANS, “This new film focuses on an important yet lesser-known chapter of history, the 21 days in the life of Mahatma Gandhi during India’s independence.”
The filmmaker said the story will look beyond events that are already widely documented and focus instead on Gandhi’s personal journey during those days.
India was moving towards freedom and Delhi was emerging as the centre of political power. Gandhi, however, made a different choice.
“At a time when the nation was stepping into freedom, and Delhi was becoming the center of power, Gandhi made an unexpected choice: he chose to walk away,” Mishra said.
The director stressed that he does not see that decision as Gandhi withdrawing from the events unfolding around him.
“But by walking away, he did not retreat. He reinvented himself,” he added.
Film Will Explore Gandhi Beyond Recorded History
Mishra’s film intends to examine what was happening beneath the political developments of the period rather than simply recreating familiar historical events.
“While history books record the surface events of that era, this story explores what lay beneath that famous choice and will depict the personal journey of a leader redefining his path,” the filmmaker said.
That approach also makes the project different from a sprawling biopic covering Gandhi’s life from his early years to Independence. Instead, the film will use those 21 days to explore his state of mind, choices and changing role while a newly independent country was taking shape.
Manoj Bajpayee To Play Mahatma Gandhi For The First Time
The project will mark a career first for Manoj Bajpayee, who has never previously portrayed Mahatma Gandhi on screen.
The actor will headline the film as Gandhi, taking on one of the most widely depicted historical personalities in Indian cinema. The casting also brings Bajpayee and Mishra together for a story that will depend heavily on the personal and internal aspects of its central character rather than treating Gandhi merely as a political figure.
Saurabh Shukla has also joined the cast, though details about his character have not yet been disclosed.
Anubhav Sinha To Produce Sudhir Mishra’s Next
The untitled film is being produced by Anubhav Sinha, the filmmaker behind Mulk, Article 15 and Thappad.
Further details about the supporting cast, filming schedule and theatrical release date are yet to be announced.
