Akshaye talks about Gandhi--My Father

Akshaye Khanna has a line up of mega projects this year—Abbas-Mustan’s ‘Race’ and ‘Naqab’, and Anil Kapoor’s ‘Gandhi My Father’.

The actor confesses that he is emotionally attached to Anil Kapoor’s ‘Gandhi My Father’. Incidentally, the film went on the floors after a research of nearly six years and meeting up with members of the Gandhi family besides historians.

Akshaye says, “I have acted in a period film for the first time. I play Harilal Gandhi, the son of Mahatma Gandhi in ‘Gandhi My Father’. The film depicts the intricacies of the relationship between a father and a son.”

Akshaye says that it’s intriguing to know that though much is known about Gandhi and his wife Kasturba, most are unaware that Gandhi had children. “The film deals with Gandhi’s relationship with his children. Today, among all his sons, only Tushar Gandhi is alive. The script is based completely on facts,” underlines Akshaye.

He adds, “The script is very challenging. It pushed me as an actor. I am fortunate to have bagged a role, which requires me to play a character that grows from 18 to 60. I have become a better actor after working in this film. I had to work a lot on prosthetics and make-up.”

Akshaye is all praises for theatre stalwart Feroz Khan the film’s director. “Feroz has a tremendous understanding of the craft of acting as he himself is an actor on the Gujarati stage. His sense of aesthetics is similar to mine,” says Akshaye. Akshaye is also all praises for co-actor Shefali Shah, who is playing the role of Kasturba Gandhi. “I have no qualms in stating that her performance is one of the best female performances (if not the best) ever seen on the Indian screen.”

Akshaye, however confesses that his role as Hiralal Gandhi in the film did not perturb him personally. “After pack up, my characters don’t disturb me. I find it very strange when an actor says that he feels low after the pack up. I feel it is very silly because let’s face facts—at the end of the day, you are being paid for acting.”