Mahatma Gandhi oil portrait fetches whopping Rs 1.75 crore at UK auction
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News18
9 hours ago
- News18
Hansal Mehta's ‘Gandhi' To Premiere At Toronto International Film Festival 2025
Last Updated: Hansal Mehta's Gandhi, starring Pratik Gandhi, becomes the first Indian series selected for TIFF's Primetime Programme. In a landmark moment for Indian storytelling, Applause Entertainment's much-anticipated international series Gandhi, directed by Hansal Mehta and starring Pratik Gandhi, will have its world premiere at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). The series has been officially selected for TIFF's prestigious Primetime Programme, making it the first Indian series ever to be showcased in the festival's dedicated celebration of long-form storytelling. Adapted from historian Ramachandra Guha's definitive biographies, Gandhi is envisioned as a sweeping, multi-season epic that reimagines the life of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi—not as the saintly figure etched in history, but as the young, flawed, and ambitious man still finding his way in the world. Season One: An Untold Story of Becoming (1888–1915) will chronicle Gandhi's early years, beginning with his adolescence in colonial India, his awkward stint as a law student in London, and his transformative 23 years in South Africa. It's a tale of contradictions, failures, awakenings, and self-discovery—long before he became the Mahatma, he was simply Mohan. TIFF Primetime, which began in 2015, has previously hosted acclaimed series like Alfonso Cuarón's Disclaimer, Shawn Levy and Steven Knight's All the Light We Cannot See, and Netflix's first German original Dark. Gandhi now joins this distinguished roster, marking a significant cultural milestone for Indian content on the global stage. Producer and Applause Entertainment MD Sameer Nair called the selection 'both an honour and a moment of immense pride." He added, 'Taking you up close and personal to the young Mohan way before he became the man history knows, this series is the culmination of deep research, creative development, and unwavering belief in the human story we wanted to tell. TIFF will be the first time our Gandhi will be seen by audiences. To begin that journey on such a global platform is the perfect start." For director and showrunner Hansal Mehta, the project is deeply personal, 'Gandhi has been the most creatively challenging and soul-stirring journey of my career. It's not just a story from our past—it's a meditation on conscience, a portrait of a man in constant conflict with himself and his times. TIFF has previously been home to some of my most precious work, and to have perhaps the most ambitious story of my career premiering there is doubly special—particularly in TIFF's 50th year." The TIFF premiere will be attended by key members of the team including Sameer Nair, Hansal Mehta, Siddharth Khaitan, Pratik Gandhi, as well as Tom Felton and Kabir Bedi. Backed by an accomplished creative team, the series features music by A.R. Rahman, with writing credits to Vaibhav Vishal, Karan Vyas, Felix von Stumm, Hema Gopinathan, Sehaj Kaur Maini, and Yashna Malhotra. Script guidance came from Siddhartha Basu and Ramachandra Guha himself. Casting was handled by Mukesh Chhabra (India) and Shakyra Dowling (International), with production design by Shashank Tere, costumes by Pia Benegal, and cinematography by Pratham Mehta—all contributing to the show's authenticity and scale. The world will now meet Gandhi not as the Mahatma, but as the man in the making, when the series makes its debut at TIFF 2025. First Published: August 10, 2025, 19:16 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Hindustan Times
14 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Gandhi is our The Crown, says producer Sameer Nair: 'Richard Attenborough made it via a narrow lens'
Gandhi, the upcoming series directed by Hansal Mehta, will follow India's struggle for independence while providing an in-depth portrayal of Mahatma Gandhi at different stages in his life, says producer Sameer Nair, comparing the show's narrative depth to the acclaimed international series The Crown. Gandhi stars Pratik Gandhi in the titular role. Starring Pratik Gandhi in the titular role, the series promises an exploration of Gandhi's life and the diverse characters who shaped India's fight for freedom. Nair, the managing director of Applause Entertainment, said while Gandhi is a globally recognised figure, the show seeks to present a 'deeply personal story' that goes beyond his iconic status. 'When (Richard) Attenborough made Gandhi, he had only two and a half hours to make it, and he ended up making a story about Gandhi via a narrow lens. What we are hoping to do with this is to also tell the story of Indian independence, and there are so many other characters involved. Nair said they are planning to make the show into three seasons. "It's not just Gandhi, it's also about people who are with him, who were against him, the British and the whole situation. So, these three seasons are more like our The Crown (Netflix's hit show on the British royal family),' Nair told PTI in an interview. Mehta has enjoyed great success in the streaming space with critically-acclaimed shows such as Scam and Scoop, and Nair hopes Gandhi would turn out to be a show that the whole world watches. Gandhi will have its world premiere at the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in September. The banner is known for shows such as Vikramaditya Motwane's Black Warrant, Nagesh Kukunoor's The Hunt: The Rajiv Gandhi Assassination, Hansal Mehta's Scam 1992, and Pankaj Tripathi-starrer Criminal Justice among others. Gandhi is based on renowned historian and author Ramachandra Guha's books – Gandhi Before India and Gandhi: The Years That Changed the World. The show will also feature Pratik Gandhi's wife Bhamini Oza as Kasturba Gandhi and Harry Potter star Tom Felton as Josiah Oldfield Nair informed that through three seasons they hope to track Gandhi's journey from 1888 through 1947. The first season is dedicated to the years 1888 to 1915, while subsequent seasons will cover 1915 to 1932 and finally, 1932 to 1947, he said. 'Gandhi is going to be a big one, and now it's ready. Hansal is there, Pratik is playing the role, and AR Rahman is doing the music. So, it's all come together quite well. Hopefully, that should be ready by the end of August. "Then we'll take it out there and see how to put it out. But that will be a big one. Season one is about the younger Gandhi that you don't know about, it's a young adult story, we call season one Mohan to Mahatma." Nair said the first season is about an 18-year-old who goes to London to study law. "So, it's not the Mahatma you see on the currency note or the person that we all know about. It's a different guy, and how he becomes that (Mahatma). So, it's very fascinating,' Nair added. Nair said they are hoping to release the first season of the show in India by December-end. 'It is quite an expensive project. It's not easy to do this. We've taken some time writing it because you are writing about extremely famous and large public figures, and it needs to be done (right). "We tell human stories. We take the camera very close to the people and we try to tell human stories. So it's not about the great, it's about the people, and how they became great,' he said, adding that they haven't shot for the subsequent seasons of Gandhi yet.
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First Post
16 hours ago
- First Post
'Pratik Gandhi and Hansal Mehta's series Gandhi is our Netflix's The Crown,' says producer Sameer Nair
Starring Pratik Gandhi in the titular role, the series promises an exploration of Gandhi's life and the diverse characters who shaped India's fight for freedom. read more 'Gandhi', the upcoming series directed by Hansal Mehta, will follow India's struggle for independence while providing an in-depth portrayal of Mahatma Gandhi at different stages in his life, says producer Sameer Nair, comparing the show's narrative depth to the acclaimed international series 'The Crown'. Starring Pratik Gandhi in the titular role, the series promises an exploration of Gandhi's life and the diverse characters who shaped India's fight for freedom. Nair, the managing director of Applause Entertainment, said while Gandhi is a globally recognised figure, the show seeks to present a 'deeply personal story' that goes beyond his iconic status. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'When (Richard) Attenborough made 'Gandhi' he had only two and a half hours to make it and he ended up making a story about Gandhi via a narrow lens. What we are hoping to do with this is to also tell the story of the Indian independence and there are so many other characters involved. Nair said they are planning to make the show into three seasons. 'It's not just Gandhi, it's also about people who are with him, who were against him, the British and the whole situation. So, these three seasons are more like our 'The Crown' (Netflix's hit show on the British royal family),' Nair told PTI in an interview. Mehta has enjoyed great success in the streaming space with critically-acclaimed shows such as 'Scam' and 'Scoop' and Nair hopes 'Gandhi' would turn out to be a show that the whole world watches. 'Gandhi' will have its world premiere at the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in September. The banner is known for shows such as Vikramaditya Motwane's 'Black Warrant', Nagesh Kukunoor's 'The Hunt: The Rajiv Gandhi Assassination', Hansal Mehta's 'Scam 1992', and Pankaj Tripathi-starrer 'Criminal Justice' among others. 'Gandhi' is based on renowned historian and author Ramachandra Guha's books – 'Gandhi Before India' and 'Gandhi: The Years That Changed the World'. The show will also feature Pratik Gandhi's wife Bhamini Oza as Kasturba Gandhi and 'Harry Potter' star Tom Felton as Josiah Oldfield Nair informed that through three seasons they hope to track Gandhi's journey from 1888 through 1947. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The first season is dedicated to the years 1888 to 1915, while subsequent seasons will cover 1915 to 1932 and finally, 1932 to 1947, he said. 'Gandhi is going to be a big one and now it's ready. Hansal is there, Pratik is playing the role, and AR Rahman is doing the music. So, it's all come together quite well. Hopefully, that should be ready by the end of August. 'Then we'll take it out there and see how to put it out. But that will be a big one. Season one is about the younger Gandhi that you don't know about, it's a young adult story, we call season one 'Mohan to Mahatma'.' Nair said the first season is about an 18-year-old who goes to London to study law. 'So, it's not the Mahatma you see on the currency note or the person that we all know about. It's a different guy and how he becomes that (Mahatma). So, it's very fascinating,' Nair added. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Nair said they are hoping to release the first season of the show in India by December end. 'It is quite an expensive project. It's not easy to do this. We've taken some time writing it because you are writing about extremely famous and large public figures and it needs to be done (right). 'We tell human stories. We take the camera very close to the people and we try to tell human stories. So it's not about the great, it's about the people, and how they became great,' he said, adding that they haven't shot for the subsequent seasons of 'Gandhi' yet.
