Actor Pratik Gandhi says he has formed a strong friendship with Hollywood star Tom Felton, both on and off screen, while working on their upcoming series, Gandhi, calling it as one of the most unforgettable experiences of his career.
"What struck me most is that, despite being a global star adored by generations, including my own daughter, he carries none of that on his sleeve. He's easygoing, collaborative, and has a childlike curiosity and joy in his eyes that light up both his personality and his performance,” Pratik told PTI in an interview.
"That energy made it easy for me to approach him, and our friendship grew naturally from there. Working with him has not just been memorable, but truly joyous and an experience I will always cherish," he added.
Tom, widely recognized for his villainous role as Draco Malfoy in the popular Harry Potter movie series, will be making his Bollywood debut with Gandhi.
Speaking highly of his co-star, Pratik shared that collaborating with Felton was seamless. "He has a very organic process, and working with him felt effortless, almost as if we had collaborated before. We could improvise on the go, and it all flowed naturally," he said.
Helmed by Hansal Mehta, the series features Pratik as Mahatma Gandhi, with Felton portraying his close confidant, Josiah Oldfield, during Gandhi's years in London. The historical drama is inspired by historian and author Ramachandra Guha's acclaimed books, Gandhi Before India and Gandhi: The Years That Changed the World.
Their camaraderie was evident at the recent Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) world premiere of their show where Tom posted photos from the event on his social media account and affectionately referred to Pratik as his "brother".
"It was really sweet of him to put up a post like that, but that's truly what happened between us," Pratik said, adding Felton gave him the "vibe of an old friend".
The Scam 1992 actor explained how the mutual love for theatre became a common ground for them to bond. He revealed that while they were shooting for Gandhi, Tom was also preparing for his Harry Potter musical play.
"His dedication to theatre is inspiring, and it became a beautiful common ground for us," he added.
The first two episodes of Gandhi were screened at TIFF, earning a standing ovation from the audience. Pratik shared that attending such prestigious international film festivals was beyond anything that he had ever imagined, and described the audience's response as "immense encouragement".
"I never in my wildest dream had thought I'll go to an international film festival like TIFF with my favourite character, that I've done till now. Gandhi is the biggest project of my career. A lot of firsts are attached to it, which makes it even more special," he said.
"The way the audience reacted to each and every sequence, line, it gave me a lot of happiness, satisfaction and immense encouragement. Not only Indian diaspora out here, but the western audience also could understand each and every context and they enjoyed and reacted at the correct places," he added.
The series also marks a special collaboration for Pratik, as his wife, Bhamini Oza, essays the role of Kasturba Gandhi.
Reflecting on portraying Mahatma Gandhi on screen, the 45-year-old actor recalled his excitement upon being offered the role, calling it an opportunity he simply couldn't pass up.
"It was a complete no-brainer! Any actor would have jumped on this opportunity. When Sameer Nair (of Applause Entertainment) approached me for this and said that they were planning to make Gandhi as a series, I didn't ask a single question and immediately said 'yes'," he said, adding that his only curiosity at the time was about who would be directing the project.
In addition to Gandhi, the actor's two other films, Ghamasaan and Phule, were screened recently at the Chicago South Asian Film Festival (CSAFF) and the Indian Film Festival of Alberta (IFFA) in Calgary, respectively.
"It has been a privilege to watch my work travel across continents. Both Gandhi and Phule are stories deeply rooted in our history and society, yet their themes resonated universally with audiences in Toronto and Calgary," he said.
