Gandhi Series: Pratik Gandhi will play Bapu in a TV show based on the two books by Ramachandra Guha

Pratik Gandhi is set to play Mahatma Gandhi – the actor has no connection to Bapu’s family – in a multi-season series based on historian Ramachandra Guha Gandhi’s books Before India and Gandhi: The Years That Changed the World. The as yet untitled Gandhi series will focus on Gandhi’s days as a lawyer in South Africa, from 1893 to 1914, and his return to India which saw him lead the movement to liberate the country from British rule. The web series Gandhi – likely to be shot in Indian and international locations in Hindi, English and Gujarati – will also examine his interactions with contemporaries of “all faiths, cultures and classes”.

“I deeply believe in Gandhi’s philosophy and values ​​that echo simplicity in its purest forms,” ​​Pratik said in a prepared statement. Personally too, I strive to reach out and imbue many of his qualities and teachings in my daily life. Also, playing the role of Mahatma has been very dear to my heart since my theater days and now it’s a huge honor to try the role of this legendary leader again, on screen. I believe it’s a huge responsibility to attempt this role with dignity, grace and conviction.”

Guha said he hoped to make it a multi-season story modeled after Netflix period drama The Crown, which focuses on the British royal family. Guha told Deadline: “Look at The Crown, it’s all about 20th century British history. We can bring Gandhi’s story – his achievements, his controversies, his struggles and his friendships – to a new audience. , in a complementary but very different way to a book.”

The Gandhi web series is made by Applause Entertainment which has already started finalizing the casting. Applause recently made Rudra: The Edge of Darkness for Disney+ Hotstar and Bloody Brothers for Zee5.

For Pratik, the Gandhi series will be the actor’s fifth project after the stock market series SonyLIV Scam 1992, the crime drama series The Great Indian Murder, the Gujarati language series Vitthal Teediand Hansal Mehta’s “Baai” segment from the Amazon Prime Video romance anthology Modern Love Mumbai.

Sir Ben Kingsley won the Best Actor Oscar when he played Gandhi in the 1982 historical drama Gandhi, which won eight Oscars including Kingsley. It remains to be seen if Pratik is able to live up to those high standards with his work in the new series, which has yet to announce a release date or streaming partner.

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