Hirani learnt of Gandhi's height eight years after 'Lage Raho Munnabhai'

Hirani learnt of Gandhi's height eight years after 'Lage Raho Munnabhai'
Saturday, November 22, 2014 14:51 IST
By Santa Banta News Network
Do you know what was Mahatma Gandhi's height?

If you don't know it, you are in good company. Until years after he made "Lage Rago Munnabhai", director Rajkumar Hirani was not aware of Gandhi's exact height and it was only a chance visit to Pune's Yerwada Central Jail that finally unraveled the mystery.

And in the Hirani's long but successful quest to know Gandhi's height, it was the Father of the Nation's onscreen protege Munnabhai, actor Sanjay Dutt himself, who proved to be a catalyst.

"This was a big battle...what was Gandhiji's height," explained Hirani at a discussion on the legacy of Richard Attenborough, who directed the Academy award winning film "Gandhi" which was held Friday at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI).

The battle lasted from around 2006, when "Lage Raho Munnabhai" was made, to 2013, when Hirani went to Pune's Yerwada prison, where the film's main lead Sanjay Dutt was incarcerated.

"And last year, I went to Yerwada jail, Sanjay Dutt is still there. They were performing a play and I was supposed to go and see that play," Hirani said.

Once there, the prison's jailor who obviously was impressed by Hirani's modern-day cinematic homage to Gandhi, took the director on a tour of the prison. The tour involved one tiny cell, where a certain Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi had been imprisoned on more than one occasion, during the pre-Independence struggle.


"So the jailor took me around the prison and there was a cell where Gandhiji had stayed couple of times. So that little prison cell, they have converted into a small museum. So he took me around to show that place and outside the cell was a little form which had to be filled when Gandhi was taken in there," said Hirani.

"And on that form the first thing I noticed was his height which was 5.5 (ft) and I called up Abhijat (script writer Abhijat Joshi) immediately from there and I said, a little late, but today we know Gandhiji's height," he added.
Rashmika Mandanna Stuns with Power Looks and Exciting Upcoming Movies!

Rashmika Mandanna continues to dominate both the fashion scene and the silver screen, proving why she is

Monday, April 28, 2025
Arjun Kapoor Shares Playful Throwback Moments from Set: 'Not Yet,' Says the Actor!

Bollywood heartthrob Arjun Kapoor once again delighted his fans by sharing an exciting glimpse into his

Monday, April 28, 2025
Legendary Filmmaker Martin Scorsese Boards Ishaan Khatter's Homebound as Executive Producer Ahead of Cannes 2025 Premiere!

Ishaan Khatter’s next big project, Homebound, has just earned a major global boost — legendary filmmaker

Monday, April 28, 2025
Realme Hip Hop India S2 Gets a Bollywood Twist with Bhool Chuk Maaf Stars Rajkummar Rao and Wamiqa Gabbi!

Amazon MX Player, Amazon’s free streaming service, dialled up the drama and energy in the latest

Monday, April 28, 2025
Ashi Singh to play an aspiring lawyer Kairi Sharma in Sony SAB's upcoming family romcom Uff Yeh Love Hai Mushkil!

Sony SAB continues to bring fresh, engaging, and heartwarming narratives to its viewers, and its soon

Monday, April 28, 2025
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT