Filmmaker Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's Mere Pyare Prime Minister, inspired by Mahatma Gandhi, has been locked for release on Gandhi Jayanti this year.

"It will release on October 2. The film is inspired by Gandhiji, so it's a relevant date," Mehra says, adding that they could have released the film now, but chose to wait instead.

The film, which Mehra has shot in the Mumbai slums, will tell the story of a slum boy who wants to build a toilet for his mother. It brings to light sanitation issues through four children, real extras from slums and National Award-winning actor Anjali Patil.

Gandhi also plays a part, says Mehra. "Gandhi is a recurring motif in the film... one that appears four times in the film," says the filmmaker, who recounts how a visit to the Sabarmati Ashram and looking at Gandhi's statue impacted him. "We recreated the statue for the film in a slum colony in Mumbai," he adds.