EXCLUSIVE: Harry Potter Star Tom Felton is on board Gandhithe streaming series directed by Hansal Mehta about the legendary Indian leader of non-violent resistance.
Felton will play Josiah Oldfield, Gandhi’s first and best friend during a stay in London while studying law. Pratik Gandhi (no relation) is playing Gandhi, as we reported back in May 2022, and we can reveal that his real-life partner, Bhamini Oza, will play Kasturba Gandhi, the Mahatma’s wife.
The historical drama series is considered India’s answer to this question The crown, and several scenes are being filmed in London this month. British actor James Murray (Master of the air, The crown), Jonno Davies (Better person, Hunter), Molly Wright (apostasy), Simon Lennon (Bridgerton, Our girl), Ralph Adeniyi (The tunnel, Queenie), Libby May and Lindon Alexander (Undercover, The gold) join Felton in the cast. Sameer Nair’s Applause Entertainment produced.
Oldfield, one of the co-founders of the Vegetarian Society of London and an admirer of Indian culture, had an impact on Gandhi’s life after a chance meeting brought them together. The Englishman encouraged Gandhi to write for Vegetarian Magazine and later allowed his friend to live with him when Gandhi realized he was wasting his family’s money on the trivialities of London life.
“I’m delighted to be part of the journey to tell the story of Gandhi’s early years in London,” said Felton. “It is an important aspect of the story that has never been told on screen and working with Hansal and Pratik is an honor and a pleasure.”
Felton is known for his role as Draco Malfoy Harry Potter Films and roles in Planet of the Apes: Prevolution, Feed and Netflix picture The Forgotten Battle. He appeared on television in the third season of The Lightningstarred in a YouTube sci-fi drama Origins and recently appeared in the Sky television film Save the cinema. He made his West End stage debut in 2022 2:22 A ghost story and will be seen on stage next A child of science at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre. His recent memoirs Beyond the Wand was a New Yorker and Sunday Times bestseller.
Clockwise LR: Jonno Davies, Ralph Adeniyi, Molly Wright, Simon Lennon, James Murray, Libby Mai, Lindon Alexander
Filming continues Gandhi took place in India before moving to London this month.
The series, which Applause will offer on Indian streaming services once completed, is based on the books “Gandhi Before India” and “Gandhi – The Years that Changed the World” by renowned historian Ramachandra Guha, which are considered two of the most authoritative texts on the political icon of India. This includes Gandhi’s younger years in India, Britain and South Africa.
“We are thrilled to bring together an extraordinary ensemble from around the world, each bringing their own unique brilliance to this monumental story,” said Sameer Nair, Managing Director of Applause. “With Hansal Mehta at the helm and the incomparable Pratik Gandhi embodying the spirit of Gandhi, we aim to bring our Indian series to the global stage with resounding impact.”
“Working with an exceptionally talented cast has been a privilege,” Mehta added. “The addition of some exceptional international actors to our ensemble is even more exciting as we prepare to bring our labor of love to audiences around the world.
“Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi’s story, particularly his formative years in London and South Africa, is a story for our times, a pristine but fertile story of a young man embarking on a journey of self-discovery, unaware of his impact. would have on history and on our collective consciousness. I am truly honored to have been given the opportunity to bring this epic story to life.”
Mehta is the director and showrunner and the writers are Vaibhav Vishal, Karan Vyas, Felix Von Stumm, Hema Gopinath, Sehaj Maini and Yashna Malhotra. Script consultants include Guha, Siddhartha Bay and ScriptUp Studio, a London-based script consultancy. Mukesh Chhabra is the leading lady in India and Shakyra Dowling is doing the same internationally. Shashank Tere is leading the production design, Pia Benegal is in charge of the costumes and Pratham Mehta is in charge of the cinematography.
The first episodes of GandhiDeveloped as a multi-stage drama, it will attempt to shed light on the lesser-known parts of Gandhi’s life, highlighting key moments and formative experiences that led to the development of his famously unbreakable will and political views that were crucial to India, the Gained independence from the British Empire in 1947. Gandhi was assassinated by a Hindu nationalist in January 1948.