Manoj Bajpayee to Play Mahatma Gandhi, Starts Shooting for Sudhir Mishra’s Next in Lucknow

Manoj Bajpayee is set to portray Mahatma Gandhi for the first time in his career in National Award-winning filmmaker Sudhir Mishra’s upcoming film, Gandhi and My Mother.

Set against the turbulent period surrounding India’s Independence, the film will explore a pivotal 21-day chapter from Gandhi’s later life and the choices he made during a defining moment in the nation’s history. The film has now gone on floors, with the cast shooting an outdoor schedule in Lucknow. Divya Dutta and Saurabh Shukla are also part of the project.

The Lucknow schedule began in the Narhi area near the Lucknow Zoo, where the team filmed a sequence featuring a young girl and one of Gandhi’s public movements. The production is also recreating the atmosphere of the 1940s with considerable attention to period detail, using vintage cars, costumes and old-style signboards to lend authenticity to the setting.

For Sudhir Mishra, the project is also a deeply personal one. The filmmaker had previously revealed that his mother, Durga Devendra Nath Mishra, met Gandhi as a child. Her memories and conversations about Gandhi stayed with Mishra, who promised her before her death in 2022 that he would make a film about him.

Mishra subsequently developed a story around a lesser-explored chapter from Gandhi’s later years. The film is backed by Anubhav Sinha, founder of Benaras Mediaworks, who is collaborating with Mishra again after their work on Afwaah in 2023.

Bajpayee has also undergone a significant physical transformation for the role. Sinha revealed that the actor has lost considerable weight and is following a restricted diet and a specific lifestyle as he prepares to play Gandhi.

“Manoj has lost considerable weight for the film and is currently in the ‘Gandhi zone’,” Sinha said, adding that filming in Lucknow is expected to continue until October.

The makers have so far kept the story largely under wraps, confirming only that it revolves around a 21-day period in Gandhi’s life. Gandhi and My Mother is currently being used as a working title, with the team also exploring a new title for the film.

Further details about the supporting cast, remaining shooting schedule and theatrical release date are yet to be revealed.