In the ear of biopics, Deepa to play Indira

Deepa Sahi will play the former prime minister in husband Ketan Mehta’s upcoming biopic, her first film in 18 years

Deepa Sahi, who was last seen in husband Ketan Mehta’s Aar Ya Paar in 1997, is returning to the screen after 18 years in Manjhi The Mountain Man. She plays the former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Deepa told tabloid from Mumbai  “Yes, I am playing Indira Gandhi, it’s a cameo. I’ve always been fascinated by her and I am sure everyone would want to play her on screen.”

The 49-year-old-actress went on to reveal that she even wanted to make a film on the first woman Prime Minister of India. “M J Akbar and I had once toyed with the idea to make a film on Mrs Gandhi. However, considering the legal issues in our country, I don’t think the project will ever materialise. But given an opportunity, I’d love to make a full-length feature film on her and play the part myself,“ Deepa asserted.

She informed that she had watched a few videos to understand Mrs Gandhi’s mannerisms and body language. “As far as the look is concerned, we got a wig made with a patch of grey. I used prosthetics on the nose, so the similarity would be more striking,“ she added

. There’s a particular scene set in Bihar which appears at a crucial point in the film. “You see me giving a speech. Mrs Gandhi had a very distinctive way of speaking and I concentrated on that,” she maintained. Though Deepa has been active as a filmmaker, she has been on a self imposed exile from acting for almost two decades. What kept her away? “I don’t like the process of getting dressed up and putting make-up on. I enjoy writing and editing more but this was a role I couldn’t say no to,“ she told the tabloid.