But is that a practical solution?

Hirani: It’s practical in lots of situations. I’m talking of Gandhi’s way of life here. We can solve a lot of problems without aggression. That said, I’m a filmmaker and not a crusader. I don’t think any film can change the world. It can maybe effect .001 percent of the population and that is quite a sizeable number in a country like ours. And from the reactions we’ve been getting from people, I think that’s happening.

Mehra: More than the film, Raju is talking about the idea of Gandhi. Let’s be real. Gandhi is far above what we’ve done. He came down from South Africa to India because he couldn’t tolerate exploitation of men by men. He did some mind-blowing stuff that helped us gain independence. He employed ways and means to remain within the law. He felt that way he’d best be able to change the system.

If you feel that way, why wasn’t Gandhi included in the storyline of RDB?  

Mehra: The only time Gandhi’s mention came in the film was when Bhagat Singh’s character writes a letter to him. In real life too, they never came face to face. Bhagat Singh was a Gandhian till the age of 21 but then became disillusioned and set out on his own path. Gandhi wasn’t required in my story, so he wasn’t there.

Let’s go back to the relevance of Gandhi in today’s world. One feels that RDB has been more successful in starting a movement of sorts, like support rallies for Jessica Lall and anti-reservation protests. On the other hand, LRM affected people on a more personal level. Does that reflect on the different approaches of Gandhi and Bhagat Singh?

... contd.