I can write this in blood, She rocks: Akshaye Khanna

Akshaye Khanna speaks on his role as Gandhi...

Gandhi My Father was made under an oath of secrecy among the cast and crew?
It wasn't secrecy, just a low profile until we were ready to release. A film like Gandhi My Father isn't easy to make. There was a huge amount of production and post-production work. And we haven't made a a small art film. Gandhi My Father is a big commercial film.

It's important to plan a film's promotion properly, specially when it comes to Mahatma Gandhi who's so much part of our lives even today. Now when we're finally allowed to talk, we feel we've been let out of jail.

You play Gandhi's son. Not much is known about him.
You're right.Gandhi is an integral part of every Indian's life. With his son Harilal whom I play it's just the opposite. Before I read the script I didn't even know he existed! Of course I was aware Gandhiji had a family. But I knew nothing about Harilal. A very minuscule number of people know about him. So it was relatively easy for me to play Harilal. I disn't have to copy someone people knew about.

So how did you get a grip on the character?
Very tough. I asked my director Feroz Khan how to play him. He's almost an authority on the man. He gave me Harilal's biography by Chandulal Dalal For me the research was in capturing the spirit of the man. Then I read the letters that Harilal had exchanged with Bapu and Kasturba. That was pretty much it.

Do you see Gandhi's son as a dark character?
Not dark at all. I see him as the most courageous character I've ever played. For any person, even the son, to stand up to Gandhi required a tremendous amount of courage. The entire British empire couldn't stand up to Gandhiji. Harilal could!

Did you delve into your own relationship with your father to play Gandhiji's son?
Let me say one thing very clearly. I've never used my personal life to play any character. I read about actors digging into their experiences. To date I've never done that. I look for the emotions in the moment, and then I let it go. I don't carry my roles home. Yes, scenes in Gandhi have eaten into my soul. I may have been tired after a scene. But I never carried my roles home.

Did you get a lot of support from your co-stars?
Darshan Jariwala who plays Gandhi, Shefali Shah who plays Kasturba and Bhoomika Chawla who plays my wife were extremely relevant to my performance. Let me tell you Darshan Jariwala had a thankless task. It's terrifying to play Gandhi, especially after Ben Kingsley.

It was an act of great courage for Darshan. I wouldn't have been able to do it. In spite of the enormity of his burden Mr Jariwala has carried Gandhi off with ease. As a fellow-actor I know the full measure of his achievement.

And Shefali Shah as Kasturba?
Please do not take my words lightly when I say is the single greatest performance given by an Indian actress. I can write this in blood.

Have you told her this?
Yes I have. She's one of those rare actors with an inborn talent. Highly underused and underrated.She just needed to be given the right opportunity. I can't put words to her performance.

How do you rate your own performance?
I don't want to compare any performance. But yes, this is one film I'm immensely satisfied with my work. I feel happy about my work. Not that I've ever left any stone unturned. But there's a quality to the film that benefited my performance. Every actor has excelled.

Feroz Abbas Khan as a director?
He's such an intellectual. In one sentence I'd say he's aesthetic intellectual.. Anil Kapoor said he had yet to meet a director as deep as Feroz. This is a director with immense integrity and honesty. Even as a simple father-son story Gandhi My Father has great sensitivity. This his screen debut.

But it looks he has done twenty films before. Coming from theatre and being an actor himself Feroz has a tremendous sense of performance. It'd extremely interesting to see where Feroz goes after Gandhi.

You did two comedies Shaadi Se Pehle and Salaam-e-Ishq. Now you've done a very dramatic film in Gandhi
I don't want to suffocate myself by playing the slotting game. I see myself as an actor who does his job. And look at the variety of roles this year Salaam-e-Ishq, Naqaab and now Gandhi My Father. What a spectrum! The very fact that I'm offered such a variety of roles proves writers-directors have faith in me.

Were you disappointed when Salaam-e-Ishq and Naqaab didn't work?
Hugely. I feel there was a lot of negative attitude towards Salaam-e-Ishq. It was virtually targeted. These things happen. But I feel Salaam-e-Ishq pushed the envelope. I adored the script and the film.

Salaam-e-Ishq is a work I'm proud of. I can work with Nikhil Advani any time of the day.In Gandhi the director has gone further than his other scripts. Now I'm in full Gandhi mode. I'm in the best place I've ever been.