What was the most difficult scene?
There were a few tough moments in the film. There is a particular scene where Shefali Shah (Ba) and I receive the news of Harilal’s marriage. We discuss it in a normal lighthearted way. But Harilal hurries into marriage. Gandhi very coolly and calmly expresses his disapproval. He firmly tells Ba that he’ll have to stop thinking of Harilal as his son if Harilal wants to marry against his wish. It is Ba’s reaction that makes the viewers realise the gravity of the situation. It was testing to be very serious about what I was saying without appearing serious. That quality of absolute firmness in what I was saying, leaving no room for any further argument and yet maintaining a normal tone was hugely challenging. Then there is a scene where I get to know of Harilal’s conversion to Islam. The way I had to balance the larger than life universal father of the nation Gandhi and Harilal’s father Gandhi was very tough. You cannot view the two in isolation. I had to constantly be both and couldn’t
