All to Play a Role

The film ‘Gandhi’, depicting the life of the father of Indian independence, Mahatma Gandhi, cost £13 million to make. Sir Richard Attenborough, the director of the film, had been trying for twenty years to make the film, but without success. No movie company was ready to sponsor ‘Gandhi’; everyone thought that it would never be a commercial hit. But so successfully did Ben Kingsley play the role of Gandhi that the film has become one of the greatest box-office triumphs of recent times. In 1983 it won an unprecedented eight Oscar Awards, one of which went to Ben Kingsley for his performance as Gandhi.

Ben Kingsley’s father, a doctor from Gujarat, India, was married to an English woman. Initially, Ben Kingsley’s name was Krishna Bhanji. Later he adopted the name Ben Kingsley. He was chosen to play the part of Gandhi because of his close physical resemblance to the Mahatma. After being selected, he made intensive preparations for his performance of the role.

Long before shooting was due to begin, Ben Kingsley came to India. He shaved his head to make it resemble Gandhi’s bald skull. Since he was bulky, he started dieting and lost twenty kilos. He acquired a tan by remaining long hours in the sunlight. He memorized the story of the film from beginning to end. He packed his room with photographs of the Mahatma and time and again watched a 5-hour documentary on Gandhi’s life. He practiced yoga for two hours every day in order to acquire the habit of sitting cross-legged for long stretches in the Gandhian posture. Besides this, he used to work at the spinning-wheel for a couple of hours so that he would be able to work it as Gandhi did when shooting began.

Ben Kingsley had a special part to play in a film, and it was for this that he made such lengthy preparations. Only after long and assiduous application did it become possible for him to play the role successfully.