Hansal Mehta, Pratik Gandhi and Sameer Nair’s Applause Entertainment had a successful partnership with the cult show Scam 1992. They have now joined hands once again for the ambitious web show, Gandhi. It stars Pratik as Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi aka Mahatma Gandhi and hence, the excitement is tremendous. The hype for the show increased after it had its world premiere in the ‘Primetime Programme’ of the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) last month. Reports state that Gandhi received a standing ovation and became a major talking point at the festival. Bollywood Hungama exclusively spoke with Hansal Mehta at the Waterfront Indie Film Festival (WIFF) on this honour.
EXCLUSIVE: Hansal Mehta opens up on overwhelming response to Gandhi at TIFF: “Canada is not cheap; yet, my ADs spent their money to attend the premiere…patrons there are often held back but for our show, they stood up and clapped…I was in tears”
Hansal Mehta began by saying, “It’s still very overwhelming. I was in tears when I was standing there. Very spontaneously, the crowd got up and started clapping! I had been to TIFF previously and it is not like the European festivals. It’s not a place where people show their appreciation by standing up and clapping. The patrons in TIFF are a bit held back. Also, it was not a gala screening. Hence, to see that reaction in a public screening was very moving.”
What also touched Hansal Mehta is how his team went all out to land in the Canadian city for the premiere, “Everyone made it to TIFF like A R Rahman, Tim Felton, etc. My team of assistant directors spent their own money just to be there for that moment! Moreover, Canada is neither nearby nor cheap. Securing a visa is not that easy either. Yet, they were there (smiles).”
He continued, “My cinematographer and writer also attended at their own costs. Nearly 20 of us were present. In a way, it was the celebration of the efforts that we put in last year. Gandhi has been a mammoth effort. We have worked on it for nearly 3 ½ years.”
When asked about the release plans, he said, “We are also completing the show right now; the post-production is going on right now, as we speak. So, a few months of work.” Hansal Mehta also stated that the first 2 episodes of Gandhi were shown at TIFF.
Over the years, Mahatma Gandhi has often been portrayed in a negative light by certain films. There has also been growing negativity online about the Father of the Nation. Will Hansal Mehta’s show help correct this perception?
The talented filmmaker replied, “I am not here to correct anybody’s perceptions. People are free to have their own perception. But there is a documentation of his life and persona in Ramchandra Guha’s books (‘Gandhi Before India’ and ‘Gandhi: The Years That Changed The World’). I have tried to objectively present Gandhi as a human being. We have humanized Gandhi with his flaws, weaknesses and his immense strength of character. So, I think we need to relate to him beyond his identity as Mahatma. We need to see him as a human being and to learn how his life can become our message.”
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