Kishor Belekar Pandurang on Why Gandhi Talks Lets Silence Do the Talking
In an exclusive interview with Deccan Chronicle, filmmaker Kishore Pandurang Belekar reveals how AR Rahman helped bring his silent film ‘Gandhi Talks’ to life
After spending over two decades nurturing a film that speaks without words, filmmaker Kishor Pandurang Belekar is now simply looking for audiences to experience it with an open mind.
“After working 20–25 years on a film, you are far away from the heat and flow. You just need appreciation. Money is important, but you cannot pit a silent film against a dialogue film. It’s not a regular film.”
His upcoming film ‘Gandhi Talks’, starring Vijay Sethupathi, Arvind Swamy and Aditi Rao Hydari, revisits Gandhian values through a contemporary lens and does so entirely without spoken dialogue.
Belekar explains the idea behind the title with a sharp observation. “Which Gandhi talks nowadays? Gandhi which is on 500 rupees note. People are after that Gandhi. They don’t want Gandhi’s values, they want the Gandhi in the currency. That’s why the title is Gandhi Talks.”
The film explores greed, corruption, unemployment and violence, with Gandhi as a silent witness to present-day society. “Gandhi said, ‘I don’t want to see evil, I don’t want to hear evil.’ But now he is watching everything — corruption, misuse of power, violence. The film talks about all this, but without dialogue.”
Interestingly, the film wasn’t planned as a silent one. Belekar says the decision emerged organically while writing.
“Somewhere around 2000, I started writing the story. Earlier, it was titled ‘Money Matters’. After writing 15 scenes, I realised I had not written a single dialogue. But I knew what was happening in every scene. Then I thought, Indian cinema is completing 100 years, why not celebrate with a silent film?”
He spent nearly 15 years shaping the screenplay. Inspirations included Kamal Haasan’s ‘Pushpak’ directed by Singeetam Srinivas and Tom Hanks’ ‘Cast Away’. “In ‘Pushpak’, nobody speaks, no dialogue cards. That is very difficult filmmaking. I followed that format.”
But unlike traditional silent cinema, ‘Gandhi Talks’ integrates songs and music deeply into its narrative. “You cannot imagine Indian cinema without music. So we celebrate music also,” he says. And that’s where AR Rahman became central to the film’s emotional landscape.
Before shooting, Belekar requested Rahman to provide music that could be played during filming. “Normally on set you say, ‘Silence!’ before action. But on my set, I used to say, ‘Music.’ I played Rahman sir’s music first, then said action. Actors started performing with the music’s emotion.”
The approach created a unique atmosphere on set. “The process became very interesting. Everyone enjoyed it. Rahman sir’s music gave colour and pace to the film.”
Still, making a silent film was creatively nerve-wracking. “It’s scary because if you fail to convey the message, the audience loses interest. Your visuals have to hold them.”
Casting too took time because actors rarely get such opportunities. Eventually, Vijay Sethupathi and Arvind Swamy joined the project, alongside actors from different industries.
“I tell people this is an Indian film, not Tamil or Hindi or Marathi. Actors from everywhere are part of it.”
Asked whether making a silent film today feels risky, Belekar smiles. “It’s a rebellion. Today cinema is loud, fast. But truth and honesty are silent. Violence and power have noise. Truth doesn’t shout.”
The film recently premiered at festivals and received encouraging responses. Belekar recalls young film students approaching him. “They told me they had to write a 10-minute silent film for an assignment. After watching ours, they understood how to write silent cinema.”
Despite the long journey, he insists the film isn’t meant to be difficult or experimental. “It is a very easy film. When you watch, you write your own dialogues in your mind. Every scene becomes personal.”
He is particularly excited for audiences to see performances, especially Aditi Rao Hydari’s. “There are scenes where she doesn’t speak, but you understand everything she feels. You’ll find a different Aditi.”
As release approaches, Belekar isn’t chasing numbers. “We are far away from hit and flop now. I know what we have made. I just hope people appreciate it.”
And perhaps that’s the essence of ‘Gandhi Talks’, a film that asks audiences to slow down, watch carefully, and listen to silence.
