Among the numerous Kannada films releasing this October, the first one to hit theatres will be P Sheshadri’s Mohandas. Of eleven films of Sheshadri, eight projects have won the National Awards so far. Now, the director is all set to release his next venture Mohandas on October 1, a day ahead of Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th anniversary. Billed as a children’s film, the film is the first biopic of Sheshadri.

Based on the novel Paapu Gandhi Gandhi Bapu Aada Kathe, written by Bolwar Mahamad Kunhi, the biopic will explore the childhood of Mahatma Gandhi. The film is made in three languages -- Kannada, English, and Hindi.

Samarth Hombal is playing the role of Mohandas, and the film features well-known Bollywood actor Ananth Mahadevan as Karamchand Gandhi and Kannada actor Shruti in the role of Putlibai. The film also stars Dattanna in a pivotal role along with artistes from across Karnataka, Mumbai, and Gujarat.

“There are many films on the Father of the Nation and his achievements, but none of them dealt with Gandhiji’s childhood, which will be the highlight of Mohandas,” says P Sheshadri.

“The film seeks to explore how Gandhi dealt with challenges in his childhood and evolved into the Mahatma that the world remembers him as today,” the director adds. The specialty of the film is that the makers have shot it in Porbandar and Rajkot - where Gandhi was born and raised.

“We intend to bring authenticity to the film. However, the locations have changed drastically over the years. A great deal of effort went into recreating the ambiance of the late 19th century,” says the producer, who has bankrolled the film under the banner Mitra Chitra. The film has music by Praveen Godkhindi, and G S Bhaskar is handling the cinematographer.