‘Gandhi strived to be a common man’
   Date :30-May-2023

Gandhi strived  
 
 
Staff Reporter
“Throughout the making of the entire movie, it was important to understand the workings of Gandhi’s mind. The turbulence in there, the clarity, the truth about the struggle he carried within himself. The beauty of it was that he strived to be a common man. He never called himself Mahatma,” said acclaimed actor Rajit Kapur during an open interview with Meenu Sankar at the 8th International SPIC-MACAY Convention here, on Monday.
Kapur was speaking at the event after the screening of the film ‘The Making of the Mahatma’ at VNIT Auditorium. He shared his acting experiences with the participants of the convention. He recalled that he was ‘extremely nervous’ during the shoot of the movie, because it was a huge responsibility. “Shyam Benegal, who was my mentor, friend, and father-figure, helped me through it,” he added.
Kapur engaged the interests of the young participants of the convention with his captivating and warm personality. Answering every question, he shared some of the most intimate and overwhelming experiences. “There was this scene of Gandhi becoming Mahatma. The dress had changed. While depicting that scene, I was wearing a bandi and my head was bald. I walked out of the vanity van and stepped into the scene. I was in a trance. Tears rolled down my cheek. In the next three-four minutes of the shooting, I felt as if his soul had touched mine,” said an emotional Kapur with conviction in his voice.
Completely mesmerised by the persona of the actor, character and the movie, the children spoke to Kapur with excitement. Asked about his feelings on completion of the film, he conveyed the emptiness he felt at the end of the movie, saying, “It was as if he had touched me, and suddenly disappeared.” Rajit Kapur spoke about the movie fondly as if it had been shot just yesterday. He further spoke about enrichment the role had left him with as an actor and a human being. “A lot of people do not know about Gandhi’s life in South Africa. There’s so much to learn from that part of his life too,” he observed. During the discussion, Kapur encouraged the children to pursue a meaningful and purposeful life and thanked SPIC-MACAY for consistent efforts in pursuing conservation and promotion of culture amongst youth.