Oscar-winning composer AR Rahman (Slumdog Millionaire) has been signed on to score the upcoming series Gandhi, directed by Hansal Mehta and produced by India’s Applause Entertainment.
The announcement was made on October 2, coinciding with Gandhi Jayanti, the annual Indian celebration of Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday.
The series is based on historian Ramchandra Guha’s books Gandhi Before India and Gandhi: The Years That Changed the World, 1914-1948. The first season covers Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi’s formative years as a law student in London and then as a lawyer and civil rights activist in South Africa, during which he ultimately led India to independence from British rule. I came up with an idea that led to Gandhi became known as the Mahatma, or Great Soul, for his leadership role in the independence movement. The second and third seasons depict the rest of his life.
The series reunites Applause, director Mehta and actor Pratik Gandhi (no relation to the Mahatma), who plays Gandhi, for the first time since SonyLIV’s hit series Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story (2020).
Sameer Naar, Managing Director, Applause Entertainment said, “‘Gandhi’ is more than just a series, it is a global story of the triumph of the human spirit. AR Rahman’s music complements this iconic story. We believe that with Luhrmann’s score, we are creating something truly special – a series that is both entertaining and inspiring. .”
Rahman further added: “Seeing Gandhiji’s early life is a revelation. His experiments with truth, life and many other things show the evolution of his character. In collaboration with Applause Entertainment, Hansal Mehta’s I am very honored to be in charge of the music for this story under his direction.”
Mehta said, “‘Gandhi’ is a deeply human recreation of MK Gandhi’s life, a story that continues to inspire generations. AR Rahman joins us on this journey. It is truly a dream come true to have him on board.His music has a unique ability to enhance storytelling, capturing the emotional and spiritual story of Gandhi’s life in a project of this scale and importance. I can’t think of anyone better to bring these nuances to the fore.”