Deepak Antani | |
---|---|
![]() Deepak Antani at the screening of Gandhi Godse - Ek Yudh | |
Born | Bhuj, Gujarat, India | 20 September 1964
Occupation(s) | Actor, Film director, Screenwriter |
Years active | 1988–present |
Known for | Portraying Mahatma Gandhi |
Notable work |
Deepak Antani (born on 20 September 1964) is an Indian actor, director and screenwriter known for his work in Gujarati and Hindi cinema, television and theatre. He is widely recognized for portraying Mahatma Gandhi across multiple platforms including films, plays, documentaries and museum. [1] His performance as Gandhi in Gandhi Godse – Ek Yudh (2023), directed by Rajkumar Santoshi, received national attention. [2] [3] [4] [5] He has also played the role in the international film Gandhiji My Mentor (2016) and stage play M.K. Gandhi Hazir Ho (2019), which has been performed across India. Antani holds records in both the Limca Book of Records (2020–22) and India Book of Records (2019) for the maximum number of performances as Mahatma Gandhi on stage and screen. [6] [7] [1] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18]
Deepak Antani was born in Bhuj, in the Kutch district of Gujarat, India. He completed a Diploma in Electrical engineering with distinction. Later, he pursued his passion for performing arts and earned a Bachelor of Performing Arts in Dramatics from Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda. Before becoming a full-time actor, he worked as an electrical technician at Indian Petrochemicals Corporation Limited. (IPCL) and as a production assistant at Doordarshan, India’s national broadcaster. [19] [18]
Deepak Antani began his career as a production assistant at Doordarshan, Ahmedabad, and later served as the Programming Head at ETV (now Colors Gujarati). He also worked as a consultant for various regional Gujarati TV channels, including GSTV and Soham TV. [12] [15] [19] [18]
He made his directorial debut in Gujarati cinema with Bhav Bhav Na Bharthar in 2000, which won regional film awards. [20] Over the years, he has acted in more than 25 Gujarati and Hindi films and over 30 television serials. He has also written, directed, and performed in many stage plays, short films, and documentaries focusing on Indian history and social themes. [8] [9] [10] [11] [12]
Antani is best known for his long-standing portrayal of Mahatma Gandhi. He played Gandhi in Gandhiji My Mentor (2016), which was screened at several international film festivals and later released on ZEE5 and YouTube. [14] In 2023, he portrayed Gandhi in Gandhi Godse - Ek Yudh (2023), directed by Rajkumar Santoshi, [2] [3] [4] [21] [5] [22] [13] [23] and Mujib: The Making of a Nation (2023), directed by Shyam Benegal. [1] [7] [24] [17] He also played the same role in Kesari Chapter 2 (2025), which was released in 2025 and produced by Dharma Productions. [11] [12] [14] [15] [25]
On stage, Antani has performed as Gandhi in more than 190 shows. His notable theatrical works include Yugpurush (2016), which depicted Gandhi’s spiritual journey, and M. K. Gandhi Hazir Ho (since 2019), a solo play that he also wrote and directed. [6] [14] Yugpurush became part of a record-breaking theatrical run with over 1000 performances in India and abroad. [7] [1] [11] [12] [19] [18]
His image and voice as Gandhi have been featured in several museum exhibits and digital projects. These include Walk with Gandhiji at Rashtrapati Bhavan Museum in New Delhi, Talk with Bapu at Mahatma Gandhi Museum, Rajkot, and an exhibit at the Gandhi Tower in Patna. [7] [14] He has also appeared in government-supported documentaries such as Jang-e-Azadi, Vishwa Manav Mahatma Gandhi and Gandhiji Amdavad Ma. [1] [9] [11] [12] [19] [18]
Antani recently directed the Gujarati feature film Goti Lo (2025), continuing his contribution to socially relevant narratives in regional Indian cinema. [26] [27] [19]
Year | Title | Role | Actor | Writer | Director | Language | Notes | Refs |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2000 | Bhav Bhav Na Bharthar | Yes | Yes | Gujarati | Streaming on Hotstar | [20] [8] | ||
2016 | Kanku Purayu Maa Amba Na Chok Ma | Yes | Gujarati | Revised Title is Dil Ma Vasto Desh, Streaming on Shemaroo Gujarati | [20] [28] | |||
2016 | Gandhiji My Mentor | Gandhiji | Yes | Hindi | [11] [14] | |||
2017 | Pritam Apni Paheli Prit | Yes | Gujarati | [20] [28] | ||||
2019 | Daddy I Love You | Yes | Gujarati | [29] | ||||
2019 | Pagal Kar Diya Toone | Dhanraj Sheth | Yes | Hindi | [30] | |||
2021 | Love You Pappu | Gandhiji | Yes | Hindi | [12] | |||
2022 | Thank You Boss | Yes | Yes | Gujarati | Streaming on Shemaroo Gujarati | [31] [32] | ||
2022 | Maare Shu | News Debater | Yes | Gujarati | [33] | |||
2023 | Lakiro | Judge | Yes | Gujarati | ||||
2023 | Gandhi Godse – Ek Yudh | Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi | Yes | Hindi | Directed by Rajkumar Santoshi | [2] [3] [4] [21] [22] | ||
2023 | Mujib: The Making of a Nation | Mahatma Gandhi | Yes | Hindi | Indo-Bangla Film Directed by Shyam Benegal | [1] [14] [15] [24] | ||
2025 | Kesari Chapter 2 | Mahatma Gandhi | Yes | Hindi | [15] [25] | |||
2025 | Auntypreneur | Himanshu Bhai | Yes | Gujarati | [34] [35] | |||
2025 | Goti Lo | Yes | Gujarati | Also Executive producer and Lyricist | [27] [19] [36] [37] |
Year | Title | Role | Language | Notes | Refs |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2019 | The Family Man | Gujarati Driver | Hindi | Season 1, Episode 7 Paradise, Streaming on Amazon Prime Video | [7] [15] |
2022 | Kalyanmurti Shrimadji Ni Jivangatha | Mahatma Gandhi | Gujarati | With co-actress Rohini Hattangadi, Streaming on 1 OTT YouTube Channel | [1] [8] |
Year | Title | Role | Channel | Language | Notes | Refs |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2019 | Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah | Gandhiji | Sony SAB | Hindi | Episode 2832 | [12] |
2020 | Barrister Babu | Gandhiji | Colors TV | Hindi | Episode 136 and 137 | [12] |
2024 | Sardar: The Game Changer | Mahatma Gandhi | DD National | Hindi | As a young and old Gandhiji in Episodes 1 to 30 | [38] [39] [40] |
Year | Title | Role | Actor | Writer | Director | Language | Notes | Refs |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2004 | Sardar Patel | Gandhiji | Yes | Yes | Yes | Gujarati | Supported by Gujarat State Sangeet Natak Academy | [1] [12] [15] [19] |
2015 | Yugpurush | Gandhiji | Yes | No | No | Gujarati and Hindi | Produced by Shrimad Rajchandra Mission Dharampur | [7] [1] [12] |
2019 | M.K. Gandhi Hazir Ho | M.K. Gandhi | Yes | Yes | Yes | Hindi | Performed for Global Art Festival and Sponsored by Gujarat Tourism | [6] [7] [1] [11] |
In January 2019, Deepak Antani participated in a 150 kilometre Gandhi Padyatra across Gujarat, led by Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, along with Dileepbhai Sanghani and Parshottam Rupala. The padyatra aimed to promote basic education and Gandhian values. Antani, appearing as Mahatma Gandhi, delivered public speeches during the journey to engage communities on themes of truth, non-violence, and self-reliance. [41] [1] [42] [43] [44]
Deepak Antani was featured in the Limca Book of Records (2020–2022) and the India Book of Records (2019) for the most performances as Mahatma Gandhi. [9] [13] [14] [16] [17] He won Best Actor for Gandhi Godse – Ek Yudh at the Maharaja Film Festival [45] and received a special award at the Transmedia Gujarati Awards (2024) for his portrayal of Gandhi. [1] [8] [46]