Entertainment

With Gandhi in the Toronto International Film Festival and Saare Jahan Se Accha on Netflix, Pratik Gandhi is fast emerging as the new chameleon in the film world. From playing Harshad Mehta to Mahatma Gandhi and Jyotiba Phule in between, his versatility is quietly making a statement. 

“I love human drama. I like exploring different mindsets without judging them,” says Pratik as he stirs his black coffee at a hotel in central Delhi. “One angle of their lives is known to the world. What is not known to even their family is what was happening in their minds when they were busy changing the world around them. That is the area I want to explore,” he explains.

Each biopic presents a unique challenge. With Phule, there was just one photo for reference. In Gandhi, there is a problem of plenty. “It works both ways. If there were more photographs, I would have to put in more physical effort to look like Phule. I worked on his emotions to make the audience believe in my reflection of Phule. With Gandhi, I didn’t want to mimic him. Even with numerous videos and photos, my job is to make you believe, at the 40th or 50th second, that this is Gandhi. It required a little more preparation on my part.”

Unconcerned about comparisons with Ben Kingsley and Rajit Kapoor, Pratik says that his theatre background, where he played a young, ordinary Gandhi in Mohan’s Masala (Mohan’s Recipe), helped shape the character, apart from director Hansal Mehta, with whom it is his fourth project. “Our bond is such that we can talk without exchanging a word,” says Pratik, adding that an actor carries a bit of writer in him by default.

Pratik Gandhi in ‘Gandhi’.
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

“Theatre practice brings you close to literature. I can’t write on blank paper, but I rewrite what is given to me during the rehearsal process. I constantly check the metre of my dialogue. Here, understanding the nuances of the language is helpful. By using the synonym of a word, an actor can increase the depth of the dialogue.”

In Saare Jahan Se Accha, where he has joined hands with director Sumit Purohit, who wrote Scam 1992, Pratik states that the biggest challenge he faced was creating a real-world spy, Vishnu Shankar, posted in Pakistan. “Spies are supposed to be common guys who don’t seek unnecessary attention, living far away from glamour. What we usually see on screen is the opposite. So I had to unlearn the image of a spy in my mind. We have worked on both the behavioural and visual aspects to create a world of the 1970s, an important decade in our history. The lives of spies is all about getting information and communication, but there were no mobiles, and computers were hardly there.”

Pratik loved projecting the constant moral dilemma of Vishnu and likes the fact that his Pakistani counterpart, played by Sunny Hinduja, is equally conflicted. “Vishnu’s means may be right for achieving a bigger purpose, but while working towards the goal, he is doing something wrong to those close to him, including his wife, colleagues, and friends. He is doing something big but can’t share it with anyone. I get attracted to these complexities, peculiarities, and pressures that a character goes through because it becomes challenging to process and translate to the audience.”

Pratik Gandhi in ‘Saare Jahan Se Accha.’
| Photo Credit:
Netflix

Having worked in an engineering job until 2016, Pratik has also juggled family life, his passion for acting, and making ends meet in a challenging world. “My dilemma was selfish, and if I extrapolate it to Vishnu’s dilemma, that is also selfish, but in his mind, he is not being self-seeking because he is doing it for the country. In my case, I was doing it for myself. However, I completely understand the emotion. The constant feeling of guilt is complicated to manage. Ghar par time nahin de pa rahe (Not able to spend time at home), have to manage office as well as rehearsals, whatever reason you might give, you feel a sense of guilt.”

What makes Pratik different from his contemporaries is that, with craft, he has lived life. “When Scam 1992 happened to me, I used to cry that I am getting the chance at 40, but later I thanked God that it happened at 40 because till then I could gather life experiences which helped me profoundly process complex emotions.”

But being discovered late by filmmakers limits the options for playing certain parts. “Yes, I may not fit a college-going character, but if you bring a script, pass kar jayenge (I will pass),” grins Pratik. He reminds me of the lighter parts he played in Madgaon Express and Do Aur Do Pyaar. “Theatre prepares you to play both raja and vidushak (king and clown) and everything in between.”

ALSO READ: Anurag Kashyap blasts CBFC and Brahmin backlash against ‘Phule’: ‘If there’s no caste, why are you offended?’

But the “unstructured” film industry has its queer ways. “I was outrightly rejected by television. I am told that I don’t look a conventional hero. Should I take this as a compliment?” asks Pratik with a chuckle

In an interview with this journalist, Phule director Anant Mahadevan described Pratik as the new Sanjeev Kumar. Strangely, not many mainstream actors come from Gujarat. “When I was starting out, we were told that Gujarati actors don’t make it big in Hindi cinema because people could smell the Gujarati in their diction. Apart from Sanjeev Kumar, we don’t have many mainstream actors from the State. Paresh Rawal made it big as a supporting actor. However, when I came to Mumbai, I realised that those who come from Punjab also sound Punjabi, but they have been accepted as part of the mainstream. I guess OTT has bridged this gap. Now the linguistic flavours don’t bother anybody.”

Saare Jahan Se Accha will be streaming on Netflix from August 13.

Published – August 12, 2025 08:02 pm IST

(from left) Umayalpuram Sivaraman on the mridangam, vocalist Sikkil Gurucharan, Shree Sundarkumar on the kanjira and V. Sanjeev on the violin performing at the Kalyani Menon tribute concert at TAG Centre in Chennai
| Photo Credit: R. Ravindran

Actor Nivin Pauly. File
| Photo Credit: The Hindu

Raj Bahadur greets me with a friendly smile at his residence in Chamrajpet, Bengaluru. At 80, he understandably moves slowly and has slight hearing challenges. Nevertheless, I am quickly in awe of his memory. “I met Rajini on June 03, 1970. He joined the Bangalore Transport Service (now Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation) as a conductor, and I joined as a driver. We have remained close friends for 55 years,” he says.

Be it at any public forum, Rajinikanth takes pride in his friendship with Bahadur, who was the pillar to the actor’s dream of becoming big in the film industry. First one to recognise his skills, Bahadur encouraged Rajinikanth to pursue acting at the Madras Film Institute in Chennai, promising him all the financial help required. The rest, as they say, is history.

“He is the man who gave Tamil cinema its superstar,” said veteran director SP Muthuraman, introducing Bahadur to the packed crowd at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai during the recent audio launch of Coolie, the upcoming Rajinikanth film. Bahadur, who sat among the biggest stars of Indian cinema such as Akkineni Nagarjuna and Aamir Khan, confesses to relishing the energetic atmosphere.

Coolie, directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, hits the screens on August 14, marking Rajinikanth’s 50th year in the film industry. Bahadur, a retired BMTC driver, who has been an integral part of Rajinikanth’s incredible journey to the top, obliges to showcase his treasure trove, an album of memorable pictures with Rajinikanth and talk about the story behind some of the photographs.

Escaping the public eye

It’s a well-known fact that Rajinikanth is an ardent devotee of Sri Raghavendra Swamy. The actor even played the Hindu scholar and saint in his 100th film, titled Sri Raghavendrar (1985). A meet-up with Bahadur always leads to a trip to Mantralayam in Andhra Pradesh to worship Raghavendra Swamy. Seen here are Rajinikanth, Bahadur, and other friends, who choose a secluded spot to break for lunch. To avoid media attention and public scrutiny, Rajinikanth and his gang find secluded places during their travel to have a meal. Dharmasthala, Sri Kukke Subrahmanya, and Tirupati are the other go-to temples for Rajini.

A moment with family

Bahadur and family pose for a picture with the superstar at the popular 5-star hotel The Lalit Ashok in Bengaluru. Bahadur reveals that Rajinikanth owned a property right opposite Lalit Ashok, yet chose to rent a room. In a bid to escape the massive crowds around his residence, the superstar preferred to stay in a hotel. Bahadur remembers Rajinikanth looking at his property through the window of his hotel room and finding it hard to believe that he cannot stay in his own house. Such is his stardom, says Bahadur with a chuckle.

Honoured on stage

Bahadur being felicitated at the school run by Latha, the wife of Rajinikanth, in Chennai. He recalls Latha thanking him on stage for being the primary reason behind the rise of Rajinikanth. Every year, he is invited to the annual event, where the superstar never forgets to tell the students about Bahadur’s role in encouraging Rajini to pursue acting and providing the actor with financial help during his early days as a struggling actor in Chennai.

Best friends get nostalgic

Two best friends at the Jayanagar 4th Block Bus Station in Bengaluru. It’s the place where Rajinikanth first met Bahadur, and the veteran star decided to give a surprise visit to the bus depot in 2023. Expectedly, the Baasha star got swamped by people requesting a selfie. Rajinikanth left the bus station after a brief interaction with drivers and conductors. Before reaching the depot, Rajinikanth visited the Ramakrishna Math in Basavanagudi. After his primary education, Rajini was enrolled in the Math by his brother. Bahadur saw his friend chant vedas and mantras as he meditated at the Math for an hour.

ALSO READ: Actor Rajinikanth springs a surprise visit to BMTC bus depot in Bengaluru

Food for love

Rajinikanth indulging in his favourite food. The actor is a big fan of dishes made of chicken, reveals Bahadur. During his visits to Bengaluru, Rajinikanth prefers having food made in Bahadur’s house. The lifelong friend usually takes him a tiffin carrier having chicken curry, chapathi, rasam, omelette, and fish. He is not much of a mutton lover, claims Bahadur. Unless it’s the only option, Rajini never eats restaurant food in Bengaluru, he adds.

A birthday to remember

When friends meet, they party! Bahadur with Rajinikanth on the star’s special birthday. This picture was clicked at Rajini’s residence in Chennai on 12/12/12. The triple date sequence occurs once in a lifetime, and it became even more special for me because it was his birthday, says Bahadur.

Friend and a fan

Raj Bahadur at his residence.
| Photo Credit:
K Bhagya Prakash

Bahadur on the veranda of his house in Chamrajpet, Bengaluru. The house, with posters of Rajinikanth’s films and photographs of him with the Tamil star, resembles a fanboy’s hub.

Trivia time

Raj Bahadur at his residence in Chamrajpet, Bengaluru.
| Photo Credit:
K Bhagya Prakash

As Bahadur goes down the memory lane with The Hindu, the showcase filled with Rajinikanth memorabilia is hard to miss. He also shares an episode about the early days of Rajinikanth the actor.

When Rajinikanth teared up opposite Kapali theatre in Bengaluru due to the happiness of seeing himself on the big screen in his debut Apoorva Raagangal (1975), Bahadur told him that it’s just the beginning of a long ride. He remembers Rajini showcasing his style, be it in his walk, the way he sat, or smoked a cigarette in K Balachander’s Moondru Mudichu (1976), also starring Kamal Haasan and Sridevi. The success of that film made Rajinikanth a dedicated actor, says Bahadur. “He worked continuously, project after project, and was never willing to rest.”

Published – August 12, 2025 06:38 pm IST

Bengaluru might be the only city in India to have a festival dedicated to international heavy metal (the Bangalore Open Air, for the uninitiated), but occasionally, there are reasons to look elsewhere, especially when it is an experiential and getaway music festival all rolled into one, like 70000TONS of Metal.

The cruise festival held in the beginning of 2025, sailing from Miami to Ocho Rios in Jamaica and back, has now announced its 14th voyage. From January 29 to February 2, 2026, the festival will set sail from Miami to Nassau in the Bahamas.

With the tickets now live, the initial lineup for the upcoming edition includes veteran metal bands such as Dark Tranquillity, Eluveitie, Kamelot, Skeletal Remains and Gama Bomb, plus acts like Harakiri for the Sky.

At the 2025 edition, the draw for 70000TONS of Metal was obvious for anyone in that side of the world — Miami was a pleasant (and occasionally warm) 25 °C when most of Europe and even other parts of the United States were freezing at the end of January. Europeans and Americans are in the majority among a total of 81 nationalities aboard the Independence of the Seas, the ship that housed 3,006 guests.

On the high seas

On a luxury cruise, whose gross tonnage is actually over 155,000 tons, the festival name is a reference to the massive lineup of 61 bands. Everything is comfortable and within reach as long as you can afford it. While 70000TONS of Metal can boast about being the world’s biggest heavy metal cruise due to the number of bands and attendees, there are several cruises that bring heavy metal to fans around the world.

70000Tons of Metal aboard the Independence of the Seas
| Photo Credit:
Mihaela Petrescu

There is ShipRocked in the United States, Full Metal Cruise in Europe’s Baltic sea, Headbangers Boat that goes from Miami to Mexico, Monsters of Rock also in North America and debuting in October 2026, Australia’s very first metal cruise, Hellbound, that is already sold out.

It is clear to see how the premium aspects of music festivals are only now making their way into heavy music experiences, perhaps because metalheads had this stereotype of being unfussy — ply them with good beer and food, a solid lineup of bands and they would be happy campers.

Founder of 70000TONS of Metal, Andy Piller says the earliest challenge he faced was, in fact, finding a cruise line that was willing to host metalheads. “For many people, there is a stigma attached to heavy metal (‘crazy people with black leather jackets and tattoos’). When you meet metal fans, you realise they are some of the nicest people around.”

Is he worried more metal cruises will set sail, emulating the success of his festival? “I always say competition is good for business. We are still the biggest one by a good margin. We are still the leading light,” Andy says.

Among the many things they are doing to evolve and stay unique for ticket buyers is to have a “family atmosphere,” he says, adding, “There are no backstage or VIP areas. I wanted to make this fan and artiste-friendly, with a musician-to-fan ratio of one to 10.”

70000Tons of Metal aboard the Independence of the Seas
| Photo Credit:
Gonzalo E Pozo

70000TONS of Metal shows us exactly how exclusive a festival for fans of hard rock and heavy metal (and all the other subgenres) can become. With tickets ranging from $966 up to $6,000 at previous editions, there are only 3,000 passes on sale with access to all days of the festival across four stages, accommodation (shared or private) and of course, unlimited food at select restaurants and cafes. Other add-ons include beverage packages and WiFi, the latter being a serious consideration since there is little phone network at sea.

Voyage 13

Four stages as part of 70000TONS of Metal 2025 kicked off at 10am and went on until 6am, apart from the opening day and the off-shore day, when proceedings began at around 5pm and ran late. Running up and down the deck levels (or taking the many elevators) can be exhausting like any other festival, but rewarding because each band crafts two different sets, some that run through a specific album, while another spans their entire discography.

Top sets at the festival included Brazilian metal legends Sepultura on their Farewell At Sea. Pummelling through classics such as ‘Roots Bloody Roots’, ‘Refuse/Resist’ and ‘Territory’ as well as newer material like ‘Means To an End’, you could tell Sepultura were thoroughly enjoying themselves at the Royal Theatre indoor stage as well as at the final set on the outdoor Pool Deck stage, moshpits raging alongside strong winds.

Polish death metal band Decapitated also upped the ante when it came to their sets at the Studio B Ice Rink and Pool Deck. Matching relentless riffs and crushing rhythms, these were masters of each stage they took on. American death metal favourites Suffocation, who took top billing and were late additions to the lineup, brought intensity to a sunny afternoon on the Pool Deck stage.

The festival did seem to have a specific focus on power metal and folk metal to some degree; Symphony X were exceptional and fun loving (even breaking into a bit of reggae when stage banter turned to sailing to Jamaica). Stratovarius were the heavyweights who did not disappoint, neither did Emperor, Dirkschneider, Hammerfall and Kalmah.

70000Tons of Metal aboard the Independence of the Seas
| Photo Credit:
Mihaela Petrescu

Among the festival’s top draws were seasoned doom metal bands Candlemass and Trouble, German thrash metal party-starters Tankard and Norway’s Trollfest as well as newer, rising heavy metal acts like Unleash The Archers.

Trollfest recalled their experience of turning the ship’s deck into a circus during their colourful, energetic set full of costumes and folk metal. They said, “We woke up in a sauna — oh wait, that was just Jamaica. The day was all about beach life, questionable sunburns, and an unhealthy amount of Piña Coladas. We’re not early birds, we’re flamingoes! But hey, coffee, loud guitars, and pure adrenaline got us through.”

Unleash the Archers, for their part, said they had an absolute blast, “hanging with fans and seeing old friends and of course, playing two unforgettable shows on the Pool Deck and the Royal Theatre.” The band added, “Playing the Pool Deck Stage was a bucket list item for sure. Hopefully we’ll get to do it again someday!”

Curation is key at all festivals, so another act to attract full houses were Finland’s death/doom metal band Swallow The Sun, performing with members of the Ballet Finland dance troupe. The added dimension brought an innovative touch to the festival. Members of the troupe said, “It wasn’t easy dancing on a moving and swaying ship.”

On the other, totally non-serious end of the spectrum were the likes of video game music-informed metal bands such as Powerglove and Super Monster Party, which saw ‘90s nostalgia as well as plenty of cosplayers moshing about.

Powerglove said, “What an unforgettable epic experience rocking out with all you Glovers on the high seas! Your energy was insane, and we couldn’t have asked for a better crowd. It’s nice to see so many familiar faces and make new friends along the way. So many nationalities of metalheads united on one boat, this is what 70k is all about!”

70000TONS of Metal 2026 will take place from January 29 to February 2, 2026. More details available on 70000tons.com

70000Tons of Metal aboard the Independence of the Seas
| Photo Credit:
Mihaela Petrescu