Pratik Gandhi, who will be performing two back-to-back Gujarati plays — Mohan No Masalo and Hu Chandrakant Bakshi — in Ahmedabad this Sunday, says he is “scared, nervous but really excited.” Pratik adds, “I am performing back-to-back plays in Ahmedabad after a very long time. Since both are monodramas, preparation is the most difficult part, as I have to rehearse it alone. Also, both the characters (Mohan and Bakshi) are 180 degrees different from each other. While Chandrakant Bakshi was a firebrand writer who offended people with his truth, young Mohan was meek and fearful. When you are portraying all those different emotions in a single day, mental preparation is anything but easy. But like always, I am excited about performing in front of a live audience.”
‘You learn a lot while portraying iconic characters’
Talking about portraying “iconic characters like Bakshi and Mohan”, he shares, “You learn something new every day. I want to give a lot of credit to Manoj Shah (director), who has kept throwing ideas and challenges, which has helped me shape my craft and become a more confident actor. I have been portraying Chandrakant Bakshi for 14 years, while it has been 12 years of portraying Mohan. I have gained invaluable insights while performing these plays. I love Bakshi’s discipline and confidence the most, and his thoughts were truly liberating. As for Mohan, I get inspired by his strength to withstand all odds and failures and then move past it. Gandhi never sought validation from anyone. He always stood his ground, and we can learn so much from him. Unfortunately, in today’s world, everyone is seeking validation. The irony is that even when two friends meet, unless they share the same thought process, there seems to be a problem. We are losing our individuality and have stopped respecting independent thoughts. It’s like, you are either on this side or that side, there’s nothing in between.”
Sharing an interesting anecdote, he adds, “Once, I told Manoj bhai, ‘We should make something on young Gandhi. While all of us know about the success story, very few know about the process.’ That one-line brief eventually led to the play Mohan No Masalo. He said, ‘If it’s about young Gandhi, let’s get a young writer.’ Ishan Doshi, who was probably just 18 then, researched thoroughly and wrote the play in English, which was translated into Gujarati by Satya Mehta.”
‘Want to see a day when play tickets are more expensive than film tickets’
Talking about live performances witnessing a boom in India, Pratik says, “I had predicted two years ago that with everything going digital and too virtual, live shows will be in huge demand soon. Be it music concerts, dance performances or theatre, that’s exactly what is happening now. I feel there is also a lot of fun in seeing mistakes happening in front of you, which happens in a live performance. It makes the audience realise that the actor/performer, just like them, is human too. It’s in sharp contrast to the over-sanitised digital world, where everyone is just perfect. There is a different energy associated with live performances, and nothing can match that. I want to see a day when play tickets are a lot more expensive than film tickets, which is already the case in countries like the US and UK.”
‘Want to see auditoriums that are maintained better’
In the recent past, popular actors like Siddharth Randeria have lamented about the poor state of auditoriums in Gujarat. Pratik says, “I can understand the pain of theatre artistes because for us, it’s like a place of worship. I have been to so many cities in Gujarat to perform, and there are numerous auditoriums. While I can understand technical issues, which can be fixed with outside help, something as basic as cleanliness is a major area of concern at many of these places. I hope things change for the better soon. Surely, it isn’t too much to ask for comfortable seats and clean toilets for the audience? Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to be a priority for anyone. I would love to see auditoriums that are maintained better.”
‘2026 has been a wonderful year so far’
Looking back at the year so far, he says, “It has been wonderful so far. I am eagerly waiting for the release of Hansal Mehta’s Gandhi (he is sharing screen space for the first time with his wife Bhamini). I have shot for an interesting project helmed by Shonali Bose, which also gave me the opportunity to explore Meghalaya. Apart from me, all the other actors in the film are locals there. I am doing Mess (produced by Hrithik Roshan). I am also looking at a few scripts, and I want to produce and direct a play this year. I am glad that my cameo in Lagan Laagii Re was loved by the audience. I have always enjoyed working with Saandeep Patel, and it (cameo appearance) was something I gladly did for my friends in the industry. If I get a good script, I would love to do a Gujarati film soon.”
He adds, “On the personal front, it has been fun to learn how to play the handpan. I also want to join a tabla class soon. I have made a few changes to my workout regimen, and it has yielded good results. I play pickleball and badminton regularly. I am just back from a trip to Himachal Pradesh. I want to travel a lot this year.”
