'Mohandasa': a trilingual to mark the 150th birth anniversary of Gandhiji

While we are familiar with many films on the Mahatma’s life, here is one that will also focus on his childhood

Over the years, filmmakers across the globe have been fascinated by Mahatma Gandhi’s life. Interestingly, Gandhiji did not show much interest in the celluloid medium.

Several films have been made on him, both during the pre- and post-Independence era, including Mahatma Gandhi: Twentieth Century Prophet by AK Chettiar, Gandhi by Richard Attenborough, The Making of Mahatma by Shyam Benegal, Gandhi My Father by Feroz Abbas Khan and Maine Gandhi Ko Nahi Maara by Jahnu Barua to name a few.

And, Kannada filmmakers are no exception. They are equally impressed by this apostle of peace. There have been a few films including

Naanu Gandhi and

Gandhi Devi in the past and the latest is

Mohanadasa.

Directed by P Sheshadri,

Mohanadasa will be a tri-lingual film (Kannada, Hindi and English) and is being made under the Mitra Chitra Banner.

Sheshadri, who is known to make films on a shoe-string budget, is foraying into a big budget project with

Mohanadasa . He is making this film to mark the 150th birth anniversary of Gandhiji and plans to release the film in October this year.

The director also plans to bring in actor Ben Kingsley, who played Gandhiji in Richard Attenborough’s biopic, to give a brief introduction on the relevance of Gandhiji on the global scenario. The sequence will be included in the beginning of the film.

Noted actor-director Ananth Mahadevan is essaying the role of Karamchand Gandhi, while Shruthi plays the role of Putlibai. “It is a film that has never been attempted before,” says Ananth Mahadevan. And Sheshadri adds that it took him nine years of research to make this film.

The man, who had directed films like Vidaaya, Bheti and Mookajjiya Kanasugalu , says he has finished two schedules of the shooting of the film in Rajkot and Porbandar and is now busy with his third schedule.

He has converted first floor of the century-old Mariyappa Trust in Chamarajapet into Gandhiji’s house.

“I consider Gandhiji an intriguing character. I always related my childhood days with him. When I read Papu Gandhi Bapu Gandhi Aada Kathe by Bolwar Mohamad Kunhi in 2010, which narrates an amazing evolution of a great visionary, I found all the dramatic elements needed for the story board. I liked the way the Mahatma kept the child in him alive till the day he died. The reason for me to make a film on his childhood is because I felt this story is relevant for children across the world and perhaps to the parents too. I believe how we grow with the childhood experience will be crucial and determine what one become later,” explains Sheshadri.

He then adds “My research also showed that no one has made a film on Gandhiji’s childhood.

Most filmmakers focused on the period after Gandhi returned from South Africa. So I decided to go in search of Mohandasa and decided to make this film, just because Gandhiji has been relegated to few pages in the text book, which failed to provide complete understanding of the great soul. I felt the movie could be an effective medium to unveil Gandhiji, who has become unknown for the present generation.”

“The real challenge,” shares Sheshadri, was “to make the film authentic. It is difficult to take creative liberties with the subject and there is very little information about his childhood.” But, few books in Sabarmati Ashram came in handy, he adds. “Location was another problem as Rajkot has changed drastically, so I focused more on Porbander.” Another major challenge was to find a producer, as “very few people show interest in producing a biopic.” After trying hard to find various sources to raise the budget of eight crore, Sheshadri says he decided to seek the help of friends and family to fund this ambitious project. “Gandhiji will not become outdated, as he is embodiment of a value system.”