A new film starring Manoj Bajpayee as Mahatma Gandhi is drawing attention for its narrower approach to a figure audiences know well. Directed by Sudhir Mishra, the project appears to concentrate on a specific period rather than attempt a complete life story.
That focus could allow the film to examine Gandhi as a person as well as a historical symbol. Bajpayee faces the challenge of finding something fresh in a role defined by one of India’s most familiar public images, while Mishra brings a filmmaking sensibility associated with social and political themes.
Saurabh Shukla also reunites with Bajpayee, and Anubhav Sinha is producing. The first look has created curiosity, but the film’s real test will be whether it can make viewers see a human dimension behind an iconic historical presence.