There are enough titles in his rich filmography to show that Hansal Mehta doesn’t shy away from exploring the complexities of his protagonists. The filmmaker has extended this practice to his next, Gandhi, an ambitious series that chronicles the life of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. “When we make films on real people, they often become hagiographies. But [my] attempt is to create a well-rounded character. I did it with Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story [2020] and you’ll see that with Gandhi also,” states the filmmaker of his Pratik Gandhi-starrer.

Showcasing the Mahatma’s weaknesses along with his wisdom can’t be a mean feat. But Mehta says the best way to engage people with a character is by humanising him/her—a learning that he has applied to the series. “The idea is to humanise your characters. You will not feel for the character if you don’t see him as a whole, with his goodness and flaws, his failings and successes.”