Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 29, 2015)

Deepa Sahi, who was last seen in husband Ketan Mehta's Aar Ya Paar in 1997, is returning to the screen after 18 years in Manjhi - The Mountain Man. She plays the former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

Confirming this, Deepa told Mirror, "Yes, I am playing Indira Gandhi, it's a cameo. I've always been fascinated by her and I am sure everyone would want to play her on screen."

The 49-year-old-actress goes on to reveal that she even wanted to make a film on the first woman Prime Minister of India. "M J Akbar and I had once toyed with the idea to make a film on Mrs Gandhi. However, considering the legal issues in our country, I don't think the project will ever materialise. But given an opportunity, I'd love to make a full-length feature film on her and play the part myself," Deepa asserts.

Prodded on the prep, she informed that she had watched a few videos to understand Mrs Gandhi's mannerisms and body language. "As far as the look is concerned, we got a wig made with a patch of grey. I used prosthetics on the nose, so the similarity would be more striking," she adds.

There's a particular scene set in Bihar which appears at a crucial point in the film. "You see me giving a speech. Mrs Gandhi had a very distinctive way of speaking and I concentrated on that," she maintains.

Manjhi is inspired by the true story of Dashrath Manjhi, popularly known as the Mountain Man. A poor labourer in Gehlaur village in Bihar, he carved a path through a mountain using only a hammer and a chisel. In '50, Dashrath's wife Falguni Devi had died from lack of medical care since the nearest town with a doctor was 70 kms away. After 22 years, Dashrath shortened the travel between the Atri and Wazirganj blocks of Gaya from 55 kms to 15 kms.

Though Deepa has been active as a filmmaker, she has been on a selfimposed exile from acting for almost two decades. What kept her away? "I don't like the process of getting dressed up and putting make-up on. I enjoy writing and editing more but this was a role I couldn't say no to," she signs off with a smile.