Showing posts with label Gandhi Godse - Ek Yudh. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gandhi Godse - Ek Yudh. Show all posts
After the first National award, I felt I must go higher-A R Rahman
8:08 AM
Niharika Lal (BOMBAY TIMES; October 15, 2024)
A R Rahman received his seventh National Film Award on Tuesday, and he says it definitely feels like a first all over again. “As an artist, you always feel like you're shedding your skin, evolving into a new person. The artist who has evolved is the one getting the recognition,” he shares. Interestingly, Rahman won his very first National Award for Mani Ratnam's Roja, and now, over three decades later, he's being awarded again for a Mani Ratnam film.
Music lovers say that the music of Roja still feels as fresh today as it did back then. Talking about what he does as a musician to create timeless music, Rahman shares, "From the very beginning, I had all these tick marks - the music should be recorded well, produced well, and the intention of creating the music has always been very pure. There is a big hero so I should do better music for this and there us a small hero so I should just...no! My music was never like that, the music has to be timeless. Whether it's a small hero or a big hero, the music has to be timeless. What I do should reach the full potential of what I can do. Sometimes, when you're working on a movie, a great tune comes for a small movie, and everyone says, 'Why are you putting this tune in a small movie? Use it for a Rajinikanth movie.' And I say, 'No, this tune came to me for this person, and I can't cheat. I can't take it out and put it somewhere else.' So that is the route I always took."
Excerpts from a conversation -
'After the first National Award, I felt like we have to go higher because the National Award is the highest recognition for any Indian musician'
Remembering how he felt when he received his first National Award, Rahman says, "I remember after I got my first National Award (for Roja), one of the reporters asked me, 'Do you think it is too early in your career to get a National Award for your first movie?' (laughs). After the first National Award, I felt like we have to go higher because the National Award is the highest recognition for any Indian musician. Even now, the National Award is something the whole nation acknowledges. As an artist, you always feel like you're shedding your skin, evolving into a new person. The artist who has evolved is the one getting the recognition. It's not the same thing - you've moved on from a lot of things, you're reinventing yourself, sometimes keeping what is good, sometimes letting go. So, this definitely feels like a first."
'I studied at Mani Ratnam university'
When the award was announced Rahman told us that it's a full circle, a National Award 32 years later, again for a Mani Ratnam movie. He says, "It is," and elaborates, "I think I was sitting with Mithun da and Mani Ratnam, and the minister Ashwini Vaishnaw asked something like, 'Where did you study?' I pointed at Mani Ratnam and said, 'Mani Ratnam university.' I think when you work with certain people, they bring out the best in you. And even without them asking, you understand. It's a telepathy that happens; after a while, they don't have to ask you. What they're asking comes as a mind impression, like, 'Okay, this is what he's thinking.' Then you go much further than what he's thinking, and he comes back and says, 'Oh! I like that. Why did you take so much time? Because you gave something far ahead of what I was thinking.' I'm like, 'Well, I had to take time.' So, we have a nice, interesting relationship."
Rahman says that because he had worked with so many traditional composers when he was young, he had to fight himself to break free from those influences. He says, "I had to take a 180-degree turn and say, 'I don't want to do what they did because I need to have a new experience.' So if they used one raga, I'd go and find another raga that was very unusual. Even in Roja, we used several ragas that were rarely used in Tamil. It was more of a North Indian raga, and when Tamil people heard it, it made North Indian people feel closer because they knew the ragas. Usually, Bhairavi, Yaman, and Todi are more common in South Indian compositions. So, I've consciously tried to move away from what is expected. Sometimes, some movies need a traditional score, and sometimes the director is ready to explore and gamble, and is ready for an adventure and then we have fun, which is what Mani Ratnam does."
'We can go into anthropology-driven details, but the ultimate goal is to create an experience'
Rahman says that a lot of research actually happened for the music of Ponniyin Selvan and he also had research material about what kind of equipment they had at that time, and then decided how to bring that sound from modern equipment and add it to the score.
He says, "Some of the instruments we got sound similar, and for others, we took some liberties and hid them in the score, which just adds to the musicality. We can go into anthropology-driven details, but the ultimate goal is to create an experience. It's about how truthful you are while giving people that experience because you're taking them to that era, and that era itself is a mystery because nobody really knows what happened. You imagine that, and imagination can be small or wild - most of the time, it's a wild imagination."
In Bond films, whether its composer Thomas Newman or John Barry - the theme is same
As Ponniyin Selvan has a sequel, so when he creates music for films which have sequels, how important is continuity? Sharing examples, Rahman says, "When it's a sequel, sometimes you have to continue with the score for continuity. Take the Bond movies. They have one theme that recurs. Different composers have done it too. Thomas Newman (Skyfall, Spectre) did it. John Barry (From Russia with Love, Goldfinger, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, etc.) used to do it, and they all became the same theme.
It depends on the movie. If it's a continuation story, then it's better to have the same theme, like John Williams did for some of his work." (John Williams composed for many film series such as the Star Wars series, Harry Potter series, and Indiana Jones series.)
'I always feel like money comes as a blessing, but your work is more important'
Whether it's a big-budget film or a small-budget film, Rahman says it does not matter to him. Because his name is associated with the movie, when films don't have the budget, he has often paid from his own pocket.
He shares, "Sometimes, even for a big movie, a small score works, and it doesn't have to have 200 instruments every time. And sometimes, for a small movie, you need a big score. The film might not have the budget, but I say, 'It's fine, it's my movie, my name,' and I go ahead and book the orchestra. For instance, there is a movie Gandhi Godse - Ek Yudh (2023) that Rajkumar Santoshi directed, and it had a small budget. It required a very, very big sound, so we went ahead and did some of the score. He said, 'I don't have the budget for this,' and I said, 'No worries, I'm paying for this.' (Laughs)
How often does he have to do that?
Rahman says that he had these very strict standards from the beginning, and says, "See, for me, there is a truth, an honesty and that's important. I have to look at the music. To give an example - the first jingle that got me noticed, I was paid Rs. 2,000 bucks, and I used to charge Rs. 20,000 at that time. If I'd thought about money then, I wouldn't have worked very well on that. I always feel like money comes as a blessing, but your work is more important. How you work, what you give, should stand the test of time. I should feel proud of all my films and work."
(Crisp) Movie Review: GANDHI GODSE - EK YUDH by FENIL SETA
2:48 PM
Gandhi Godse - Ek Yudh shows a fictional narrative, wherein Mahatma Gandhi survives the assassination and he decides to have a dialogue with his assassin, Nathuram Godse. The idea is truly fascinating but the execution is not. Viewers will go to see Gandhi and Godse clashing over ideologies but this sequence begins very late into the movie. The first half and a chunk of the second half are slow and don’t impress. The love story angle is very weak and unconvincing. A big issue is also that the trailer will prove to be misleading to the audience. On the positive side, a few scenes stand out here and there and the film is technically superior. The performances of the lead are also exemplary. Deepak Antani portrays Mahatma Gandhi like never before. Chinmay Mandlekar, who played Bitta Karate in The Kashmir Files and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in multiple Marathi films, is quite arresting and impactful as Godse. Tanisha Santoshi is okay and her crying scenes are very awkward. Anuj Saini is passable. Ishtiyak Khan is bad and viewers will wonder why to add such a comical and over-the-top character in an otherwise serious film. Music by A R Rahman is fine. All in all, Gandhi Godse - Ek Yudh fails to entice despite resting on an interesting idea.
My rating - ** out of 5!
My rating - ** out of 5!
Nathuram Godse’s speech in court was a reference point-Chinmay Mandlekar
8:57 AM
Chinmay says he relied on script and available material on Nathuram to prep for the role in Gandhi-Godse: Ek Yudh
Hiren Kotwani (MID-DAY; January 26, 2023)
For Chinmay Mandlekar, Gandhi Godse - Ek Yudh came out of the blue. He remembers being surprised when told that Rajkumar Santoshi wanted to meet him. Recounting his meeting, the actor says, “Raj ji asked where I came from and what I have done previously. After about 15 minutes of our chat, he asked, ‘Will you do it?’ Seeing my surprised look, he said, ‘I’m making Gandhi-Godse, and I want you to play Nathuram Godse.’”
The drama, starring Deepak Antani as Mahatma Gandhi, presents an alternate reality where the leader meets Godse after surviving the assassination attempt. While the film was to initially roll in 2020 summer, it kicked off only in September that year due to the pandemic. Santoshi is known to be fastidious about his research, more so when dealing with an intense subject that examines the ideological conflict between Gandhi and Godse.
Mandlekar — who was recently seen in The Kashmir Files (2022) — says that while the script was their guiding light, adequate prep preceded the filming. “There is a lot of debate [about the movie]. But the dialogues aren’t coming from Deepak ji or me. [Most of the dialogues used] have been said or written by Gandhi ji and Godse at some point in their lives. The main focus was to internalise those lines. For me, another reference point was Godse’s speech in court, which is now in public domain. It is about an hour long, and explains his psyche.”
During the trailer launch, Santoshi had revealed that he barred the lead actors from interacting with each other during the shoot, to maintain their on-screen conflict.
When asked about the director’s diktat, Mandlekar says, “That was only when Raj ji was around. Deepak ji is so sweet, you can’t not be friends with him.”
Fenil's Bollywood Talk # 762
10:30 PM
WILL PATHAAN’S FIRST DAY COLLECTIONS CROSS THE RS. 50 CRORE MARK?
The excitement is at its peak as Pathaan will release tomorrow, that is, January 25. It's a foregone conclusion now that it's all set to take a terrific opening.
Pathaan stars Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone and John Abraham. Directed by Siddharth Anand, it is produced by Aditya Chopra's Yash Raj Films (YRF) and is a part of the YRF Spy Universe. This means that it belongs to the same world as Tiger (Salman Khan) from Ek Tha Tiger and Tiger Zinda Hai and Kabir (Hrithik Roshan) from War. It's come to light that Salman reprises his role as Tiger and will have a special appearance. This factor has made the film one of the most awaited ones for a long time. Also, it's Shah Rukh Khan's first film in more than 4 years.
The promotions of Pathaan began with the teaser which was dropped on Shah Rukh Khan's birthday, on November 2, 2022. In December, the first song of the film, 'Besharam Rang', was released. Amusingly, a section of politicians and trolls raised objections that too over Deepika Padukone's orange swimsuit. They claimed that it insults Hindu sentiments! As expected, people didn't buy the illogical argument. But since all news channels gave a lot of footage to this controversy, it helped the film in getting free publicity.
As for 'Besharam Rang', it became a chartbuster. The other song, 'Jhoome Jo Pathaan' started slow but gradually, also became very big.
After these songs were out, the trailer was launched on January 12. It made it clear that the film is made on a grand scale and is replete with action, grandeur, style and patriotism.
The advance booking of Pathaan opened on January 18 and ever since the ticket sales have gone up with each passing day. What's interesting is that it's releasing on a non-holiday. Yet, several shows are already full. With January 26 being a National Holiday owing to Republic Day, the evening and night shows have great bookings too.
As for the opening day number, Pathaan is sure to collect more than Rs. 40 crores on the first day. It now remains to be seen how far it can go on the basis of spot bookings and last-minute advance bookings.
Baahubali 2's Hindi version has the record of being the biggest non-holiday opener at Rs. 40.73 crores. Pathaan is sure to cross the figure and also the day 1 of Bharat, which was Rs. 41.62 crores.
The next opening day record is of Thugs Of Hindostan which collected Rs. 48.27 crores and War, which earned Rs. 50.61 crores. Pathaan has a strong chance of crossing these figures.
The Hindi version of KGF - Chapter 2, meanwhile, had collected Rs. 52.50 crores on day 1 while Avengers: Endgame had collected Rs. 53.50 crores. Avengers: Endgame also holds the record of collecting the highest-ever collection in a single day - Rs. 53.75 crores - on its third day of release. Readers will be shocked to know that Pathaan can even go past these almost impossible-to-achieve numbers on its first day. If not on the first day, it can cross these figures on the day 2 holiday. Of course, this will depend on the content and reports.
If the word of mouth for Pathaan is positive, it can earn Rs. 200 crores by Sunday, that is, in five days. Even if reports are not strong, audiences are sure to throng to cinemas to watch the film as the excitement is too much. Moreover, there has been no major film release since Cirkus last month. As a result, even in a worst-case scenario, Pathaan can have lifetime collections of more than Rs. 150 crores!
The other release of the week is Gandhi Godse - Ek Yudh. It is directed by Rajkumar Santoshi and presents a fictional narrative and a dialogue between Mahatma Gandhi and Nathuram Godse.
Due to the non-commercial subject, there’s very little excitement. But since it’s a politically controversial subject, a small section of the audience is curious to see it. It releases on Thursday, January 26, and is expected to collect in the range of Rs. 10 lakhs and Rs. 50 lakhs. If word of mouth is positive, it might have a long run and can also have decent box office results.
The excitement is at its peak as Pathaan will release tomorrow, that is, January 25. It's a foregone conclusion now that it's all set to take a terrific opening.
Pathaan stars Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone and John Abraham. Directed by Siddharth Anand, it is produced by Aditya Chopra's Yash Raj Films (YRF) and is a part of the YRF Spy Universe. This means that it belongs to the same world as Tiger (Salman Khan) from Ek Tha Tiger and Tiger Zinda Hai and Kabir (Hrithik Roshan) from War. It's come to light that Salman reprises his role as Tiger and will have a special appearance. This factor has made the film one of the most awaited ones for a long time. Also, it's Shah Rukh Khan's first film in more than 4 years.
The promotions of Pathaan began with the teaser which was dropped on Shah Rukh Khan's birthday, on November 2, 2022. In December, the first song of the film, 'Besharam Rang', was released. Amusingly, a section of politicians and trolls raised objections that too over Deepika Padukone's orange swimsuit. They claimed that it insults Hindu sentiments! As expected, people didn't buy the illogical argument. But since all news channels gave a lot of footage to this controversy, it helped the film in getting free publicity.
As for 'Besharam Rang', it became a chartbuster. The other song, 'Jhoome Jo Pathaan' started slow but gradually, also became very big.
After these songs were out, the trailer was launched on January 12. It made it clear that the film is made on a grand scale and is replete with action, grandeur, style and patriotism.
The advance booking of Pathaan opened on January 18 and ever since the ticket sales have gone up with each passing day. What's interesting is that it's releasing on a non-holiday. Yet, several shows are already full. With January 26 being a National Holiday owing to Republic Day, the evening and night shows have great bookings too.
As for the opening day number, Pathaan is sure to collect more than Rs. 40 crores on the first day. It now remains to be seen how far it can go on the basis of spot bookings and last-minute advance bookings.
Baahubali 2's Hindi version has the record of being the biggest non-holiday opener at Rs. 40.73 crores. Pathaan is sure to cross the figure and also the day 1 of Bharat, which was Rs. 41.62 crores.
The next opening day record is of Thugs Of Hindostan which collected Rs. 48.27 crores and War, which earned Rs. 50.61 crores. Pathaan has a strong chance of crossing these figures.
The Hindi version of KGF - Chapter 2, meanwhile, had collected Rs. 52.50 crores on day 1 while Avengers: Endgame had collected Rs. 53.50 crores. Avengers: Endgame also holds the record of collecting the highest-ever collection in a single day - Rs. 53.75 crores - on its third day of release. Readers will be shocked to know that Pathaan can even go past these almost impossible-to-achieve numbers on its first day. If not on the first day, it can cross these figures on the day 2 holiday. Of course, this will depend on the content and reports.
If the word of mouth for Pathaan is positive, it can earn Rs. 200 crores by Sunday, that is, in five days. Even if reports are not strong, audiences are sure to throng to cinemas to watch the film as the excitement is too much. Moreover, there has been no major film release since Cirkus last month. As a result, even in a worst-case scenario, Pathaan can have lifetime collections of more than Rs. 150 crores!
The other release of the week is Gandhi Godse - Ek Yudh. It is directed by Rajkumar Santoshi and presents a fictional narrative and a dialogue between Mahatma Gandhi and Nathuram Godse.
Due to the non-commercial subject, there’s very little excitement. But since it’s a politically controversial subject, a small section of the audience is curious to see it. It releases on Thursday, January 26, and is expected to collect in the range of Rs. 10 lakhs and Rs. 50 lakhs. If word of mouth is positive, it might have a long run and can also have decent box office results.
Gandhi Godse - Ek Yudh writer Asghar Wajahat's next is about Mahatma Gandhi's visit to Pakistan
8:32 AM
After writing Gandhi Godse - Ek Yudh, playwright Asghar Wajahat developing another counterfactual story about Mahatma meeting Jinnah in Pak
Hiren Kotwani (MID-DAY; January 24, 2023)
Hindi novelist-playwright Asghar Wajahat has served as the writer on Rajkumar Santoshi’s Gandhi Godse - Ek Yudh. The historical drama, based on Wajahat’s play Godse@Gandhi.com, explores the alternate reality where Mahatma Gandhi meets Nathuram Godse in prison after surviving the assassination attempt.
“This virtual history helps us understand our past, wherein we let characters grow in their natural direction. Both had their strengths and weaknesses, which are being [studied] in the film,” says the writer.
Even as he awaits the film’s release, Wajahat is working on another counter-factual historical narrative. This, too, will have Gandhi at its centre. “It will be about Gandhi visiting Pakistan to meet Muhammad Ali Jinnah, after the Partition. Gandhi had expressed his wish to Jinnah, who had agreed on two conditions. One, that Gandhi wouldn’t speak against the Two-Nation Theory, and secondly, Pakistan government would take full responsibility for his security.”
The writer shares that Pakistan’s first governor-general was keen on Gandhi’s visit, as he felt it would strengthen the liberal forces. Wajahat adds, “It was also a question of Jinnah’s own political relevance. However, the Muslim League was against [his visit]. We’ll explore these aspects [in the script].”
Kesari makers couldn’t do justice to the subject. I want to make a film on it next year-Rajkumar Santoshi
8:36 AM
Having halted his film on Battle of Saragarhi after Akshay’s Kesari was announced in 2018, Santoshi plans to revive project next year
Hiren Kotwani (MID-DAY; January 23, 2023)
Rajkumar Santoshi’s Gandhi Godse - Ek Yudh will open in cinemas this week, marking the director’s return after nine years. The long gap was not intentional. In 2016, he had announced Battle of Saragarhi, which was to depict the 1897 battle that saw 21 Sikh soldiers of the British-Indian army fight the 10,000-strong troop of Afghani tribesmen.
“Randeep Hooda, who was cast as Ishwar Singh, lived like a sardar for two-and-a-half years. We had shot for 20 days, when Akshay Kumar and Karan Johar announced Kesari, based on the same subject. After that, our financial set-up, satellite and OTT talks came to a halt. I had to stop work on my film as I had no [financial] support to see it through,” laments the director.
“We’re from the same fraternity. Yet, no one bothered to ask me if I was making the film. [They could’ve made] a courtesy call.”
Over three years since the release of Kumar’s Kesari, Santoshi is ready to revive his project. He believes the epic battle deserves a retelling. “They couldn’t do justice to the subject. Even the get-up was not right. I want to make a film on it, hopefully next year.”
For now, Gandhi-Godse has his undivided attention. The drama marks his daughter Tanisha’s debut. Santoshi reveals he was initially skeptical about casting her. “If I scolded her on the set, she would complain to her mother [Manali], who would question me. I didn’t want all that. One has to work as an artiste. She promised me artistic discipline before I cast her.”
Unlike star kids who are launched as the lead in projects, Tanisha plays a supporting role. “No role should be big or small. I’m not making a film for her. She fit the bill, so I gave her a chance to work. Her hard work and merit should take her ahead.”
Injustice was meted out to both Mahatma Gandhi and Nathuram Godse-Rajkumar Santoshi
9:05 AM
Returning to the movies after a sabbatical that wasn’t his own doing, Rajkumar Santoshi takes on a bold subject where the Mahatma lives to listen to his assassin
Jane Borges (MID-DAY; January 22, 2023)
In an industry where you’re only as good as your last film, a near 10-year hiatus can be construed as damaging. Director-screenwriter Rajkumar Santoshi who has given Bollywood fans delicious fodder to last a lifetime, thanks to cult films like Ghayal, Andaz Apna Apna and The Legend of Bhagat Singh, is well aware of this. His last film, the Shahid Kapoor-starrer Phata Poster Nikhla Hero, released in 2013, “but this break wasn’t a conscious decision. It was forced upon me,” clarifies Santoshi in an interview to mid-day.
“I have been working all this while…writing and researching for Battle of Saragarhi, which had Randeep Hooda in the lead [the film was shelved after Dharma Productions announced Akshay Kumar’s Kesari, which followed the events of the same battle]. Unfortunately, things didn’t pan out the way I would have liked,” he says, adding, “Most production houses that I reached out to, only had one question—‘Star kaun hain?’ For me, content is king. The only time I made an exception was for Amit ji [Amitabh Bachchan]. And that’s because I am a great admirer of his work. Khakee was made keeping him in mind.”
Santoshi stuck to his guns. His new film, Gandhi Godse - Ek Yudh, which releases on Republic Day, and is already in the thick of a controversy, stars non-filmy theatre talent, Deepak Antani and Chinmay Mandlekar, in the lead.
“A couple of years ago, my writer friend Asghar Wajahat saab gave me a script of his play to read for feedback. It imagined a conversation between Mahatma Gandhi and Nathuram Godse [his assassin]. He wasn’t even thinking about making a film. But I was so moved by it, I knew it deserved a larger life. I started working on the screenplay, while Asghar saab and I wrote the dialogues.”
He didn’t sign on stars because he wanted theatre actors with some resemblance with the lead characters. “It was also a conscious decision to have a Gujarati actor [Deepak] to play Gandhi and a Marathi hero as Godse.”
The subject is historical fiction, which imagines a situation where the Mahatma survives the attack on him and later meets Godse in prison. Their conversation leads to a fiery debate. Santoshi says that while the story is fictional, it’s based on facts and rigorous research. “My strong belief is that a lot of allegations were made against Gandhiji. Similarly, Godse was labelled a terrorist. I empathize with both. Gandhiji was shot and never got a platform to explain or respond to his naysayers, while Godse’s voice was suppressed… the arguments he made in his defence were not made public until recently. I think injustice was meted out to both of them. This film gives them a platform to talk,” he says.
The film, the shoot for which began just a little before the pandemic, has braved lockdowns, restrictions and repeated delays. When the trailer was released earlier this month, it triggered fresh controversy, with many, including the Mahatma’s great grandson claiming that it “glorified a murderer”. In the prevailing environment, where jingoism is at its peak, and choosing sides either make you a nationalist or anti, Santoshi says he’d rather stick to objective storytelling.
“Gandhiji was a fearless man, the only weapon he carried was ‘truth’. Godse was equally fearless—he knew the consequences of his actions. So, when I am attempting a film like this, I can’t afford to be worried about what someone says. My conscience is clear. I want to be fair to both the characters,” he insists, adding that the Censor Board gave him a Universal certificate, after two screenings.
“After clearing it once, the board decided to send it for revision, because of the names involved. They all had only good things to say. I didn’t get a single complaint. Isn’t this proof enough that the film is non-controversial?”
As for those who are objecting to the film, he requests that they see the film, before coming to conclusions. “You can’t judge a film based on the trailer. Everybody is so restless… they are looking for an opportunity to create noise and news. The trailer is meant to make people inquisitive, not agitated,” he urges.
Incidentally, Gandhi was the inspiration behind two of his previous films, Damini (1993) and Ghatak (1996). “In fact, in Damini there’s a quote of Gandhi as well. He has inspired both Indian and world leaders. Who am I to criticize Gandhiji?”
I play a crucial role in changing the dynamics between Gandhi and Godse-Tanisha Santoshi
2:44 PM
Rajkumar Santoshi’s daughter discusses appeasing him with audition videos for a role in Gandhi-Godse: Ek Yudh after director refused to launch her
Hiren Kotwani (MID-DAY; January 15, 2023)
Unlike the star kids of the film industry, Rajkumar Santoshi’s daughter Tanisha had no acting aspirations. Certain that she wanted to explore a career in direction, she set off to London to pursue her bachelor’s degree in direction and screenwriting from the London College of Communication, to eventually follow in the footsteps of her filmmaker father.
However, four years ago, she had a change of heart. The youngster does intend to pursue a career in direction, but only after first spending some time before the cameras, giving wings to her acting aspirations.
After assisting her father in films like 'Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani' (2009) and 'Phata Poster Nikhla Hero' (2013), she takes her place before the cameras to star in her father’s upcoming directorial venture, 'Gandhi Godse - Ek Yudh'.
“I knew my father was working on this interesting subject. I heard the script when he was narrating it to someone else, and I wanted to be part of the film,” recalls the debutante, who first broached the subject with her mother Manila, who is a producer on the movie. “Mom said I should speak to my father, who rejected the idea stating that he would not be launching me. It took a lot of convincing before he realized I was serious about acting and playing this role.”
In a bid to prove her merit, she filmed and recorded videos, and shared them with him, because he doesn’t believe in auditioning actors for movies. “He casts actors based on his conversations with them and gauges if they can convincingly essay the roles.”
The period drama revolves around the conflict between Mahatma Gandhi and Nathuram Godse, and is said to be contra-factual, born of the idea that the former survives the assassination attempt by the latter, and meets him in prison. The track of Sushma that Santoshi junior plays is also fictional.
Ask her if she is worried her role will be forgotten in the narrative that focuses primarily on the two protagonists, and she says, “I’m not worried about that because people who have seen the film have asked my father for details of the actor who plays the part. For me, that is a compliment, and so, I am certain that I won’t go unnoticed in the movie.”
She is further assured of the role, given that her character is instrumental in bringing about a change in Gandhi. “I play a crucial role in [changing] the dynamics between Gandhi and Godse; due to this, they begin to understand each other, even if in a small way.”
I sympathize with both Gandhi and Godse-Rajkumar Santoshi
8:24 AM
Gandhi-Godse: Ek Yudh director says film explores conflicting ideologies of Mahatma and his assassin
Hiren Kotwani (MID-DAY; January 12, 2023)
How would the course of history change if Mahatma Gandhi had survived the assassination attempt? With Gandhi Godse - Ek Yudh, filmmaker Rajkumar Santoshi explores this alternate reality. The period drama imagines the Mahatma meeting Nathuram Godse in prison after his failed assassination attempt, thus exploring the conflicting ideologies of the two men.
Tell him that such a subject demands a balanced approach, and Santoshi says, “I sympathize with both Gandhi and Godse. As much credit as Gandhi got, he also faced allegations. To date, people ask why he couldn’t be more assertive about saving Bhagat Singh from the death sentence. Similarly, during his trial after killing Gandhi, Godse gave a statement in court, which was curbed for decades. Until recently, no one knew what he had said. I feel that was unjust to him. People should know what he had to say in his defense. The idea behind this film is to give a platform to Godse to express his viewpoint, and also to Gandhi to respond to the allegations. We are presenting both sides without being partial to anyone.”
Does he worry about irking certain sections of the population with the movie? “When people saw that I had Asghar Wajahat writing for me, they accused me of being a Leftist. I’m not siding with any ideology. I have made this film with honesty.”
The drama sees him return to direction almost a decade after Phata Poster Nikhla Hero (2013). Rumours were rife that Rajkummar Rao was initially considered for the film, which has been fronted by Chinmay Mandlekar and Deepak Antani. The director, however, clarifies, “I have always worked with stars. But I was clear that I didn’t want stars for this film. For Godse, I wanted a Maharashtrian actor who could speak Marathi lines organically. I opted for a Gujarati actor to play Gandhi.”
The January 26 release will lock horns with Pathaan, but Santoshi is unperturbed about the clash. “Our initial plan was to release it on October 2, but the film wasn’t ready then. January 30 marks Gandhi ji’s death anniversary, so we chose [the closest window].”
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