Gandhi Talks

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Gandhi Talks
Gandhi Talks.jpg
Promotional poster
Directed by Kishor Pandurang Belekar
Written byKishore Pandurang Belekar
Produced by
  • Umesh Kumar Bansal
  • Rajesh Kejriwal
  • Gurupal Sacchar
  • Meera Chopra
  • Kishor Pandurang Belekar
Starring
Cinematography Karan B. Rawat
Edited byAshish Mhatre
Music by A. R. Rahman
Production
companies
Zee Studios
Kyoorius
Moviemill
Release dates
  • 27 January 2023 (2023-01-27)(IFFI)
  • 30 January 2026 (2026-01-30)(India)
Running time
130 minutes [1]
CountryIndia

Gandhi Talks is an Indian film directed by Kishor Pandurang Belekar and produced by Zee Studios and Kyoorius, Pincmoon Meta Studios and Moviemill. The film, which has no spoken dialogue, stars Vijay Sethupathi, Arvind Swamy, Aditi Rao Hydari, and Siddharth Jadhav. It premiered at the International Film Festival of India in 2023, eventually receiving a theatrical release in January 2026. [2] The soundtrack was composed by A. R. Rahman. [3]

Contents

The film was released in theatres on 30 January 2026. [4] [5]

Cast

Production

In January 2021, Vijay Sethupathi announced his next film Gandhi Talks directed by Kishor Pandurang Belekar. [7] Principal photography began in May 2022, [8] with the teaser released on 2 October 2022. [9]

Reception

Devesh Sharma of Filmfare gave 4 stars out of 5 and said that "Gandhi Talks takes a look at the casual corruption which is all around us. The rich and the poor alike are victims to it. Only the politicians profit." [10] Renuka Vyavahare of The Times of India gave 3.5 stars out of 5 and said that "Crafting a silent film is one thing; making it consistently engaging is another, and Gandhi Talks succeeds on both counts." [11] Sana Farzeen of India Today gave 3 stars out of 5 and said that "In an age of endless reels, loud airports, and phones constantly screaming for attention, Gandhi Talks feels almost radical. It is soothing to the ears, calming to the mind, and deeply affecting to the heart." [12]

Nikhil Waiker of Deccan Herald rated it 2.5 out of 5 stars and said that "Kishor Pandurang Belekar’s ‘Gandhi Talks’, designed as a formal experiment, as a film with no dialogues, the dichotomous lifestyle of the rich and the poor becomes the pulse of the film. [13] Priyanka Sundar of Firstpost rated it 2.5 out of 5 stars and wrote, "After Petta , Vikram and most recently, Jawaan , this is not starring Vijay Sethupathi, the one note villain, but an actor who seems to have enjoyed adding another feather to his cap". [14] Prashanth Vallavan of Cinema Express rated it with 2.5 out of 5 stars and stated that "The film explores the timelessness of simplistic morality with overwhelming lack of subtlety, and still ironically ends up with thematic depth, parts of which are unintentional." [15]

Anusha Sundar of OTT Play rated it with 2.5 out of 5 stars and said that "The film ambitiously explores the themes of power, money and morality. While its attempt to revive no-dialogue cinema is commendable and is supported by strong performances by Vijay Sethupathi and Arvind Swami, the film’s silence frequently feels imposed rather than organic." [16] Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express rated it with 2 out of 5 stars and writes that "The better bits are in the first half; post-interval, all is a confused slump, weighed down by an inordinately long passage with the rich guy, poor fellow and the grinning thief skulking about without any discernible purpose." [17]

S. R. Praveen of The Hindu wrote "Although Gandhi Talks veers off course at times, the film deserves credit for Belekar’s daring to make a silent film with mainstream stars in an era when the call is for louder-than-the-previous 'pan-Indian' films". [18] Chris of The News Minute stated, "The film has its flaws, but given the uniqueness of the form and the hugely difficult task of keeping a silent film entertaining, Gandhi Talks is a movie to be reckoned with". [19] Nandu Sekhar of Mathrubhumi wrote, "Gandhi Talks gives the audience an unforgettable theatre experience when Rahman's magical music is added. Gandhi Talks is a must watch film for every movie buff". [20]

References

  1. "Gandhi Talks". British Board of Film Classification . Archived from the original on 4 February 2026. Retrieved 23 January 2026.
  2. "IFFI 54 Spotlight on Gala premiere 'Gandhi Talks'". Press Information Bureau . 21 November 2023. Archived from the original on 22 November 2023. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  3. "A.R. Rahman, Vijay Sethupathi Team on Zee Studios Silent Film 'Gandhi Talks' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety . 1 October 2022. Archived from the original on 2 October 2022. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  4. "Behind-the-scenes video of Vijay Sethupathy, Arvind Swami-starrer Gandhi Talks out". Cinema Express . 2 October 2024. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
  5. "Vijay Sethupathi-starrer 'Gandhi Talks' gets release date". The Hindu . 3 January 2026. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
  6. "प्रियदर्शिनी इंदलकरच्या 'गांधी टॉक्स' चित्रपटाची चर्चा; अभिनेत्रीने फोटो शेअर करत चाहत्यांना दिली खास अपडेट". Loksatta (in Marathi). 31 January 2026. Retrieved 1 February 2026.
  7. "Vijay Sethupathi's next is a silent film titled Gandhi Talks". The Times of India . 16 January 2021. Archived from the original on 18 April 2021. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  8. "Shoot for Vijay Sethupathi's Gandhi Talks begins". OTTPlay . 5 May 2023. Archived from the original on 16 May 2022. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  9. "Vijay Sethupathi, Arvind Swami's silent film 'Gandhi Talks' teaser out now". ThePrint . 2 October 2022. Archived from the original on 20 June 2024. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  10. Sharma, Devesh (30 January 2026). "Gandhi Talks Review: A Rare Gem Worth Pursuing". Filmfare. Archived from the original on 30 January 2026. Retrieved 31 January 2026.
  11. Vyavahare, Renuka (30 January 2026). "Gandhi Talks Movie Review: A tender portrait of humanity in a chaotic world". The Times of India.
  12. Farzeen, Sana (30 January 2026). "'Gandhi Talks review: Vijay Sethupathi's silent film deserves loud applause". India Today.
  13. "'Gandhi Talks' movie review: The loudness of silence". Deccan Herald. 30 January 2026.
  14. "Gandhi Talks Movie Review: Vijay Sethupathi, Arvind Swami's silent film is close to victory". Firstpost . 23 November 2023. Archived from the original on 23 November 2023. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  15. Vallavan, Prashanth (30 January 2026). "Gandhi Talks Movie Review: Simplistic, unsubtle, but charming". Cinema Express . Archived from the original on 4 February 2026.
  16. Sundar, Anusha (30 January 2026). "Gandhi Talks movie review: Vijay Sethupathi, Arvind Swami performances speak volumes, but the silence feels forced". OTTPlay .
  17. Gupta, Shubhra (30 January 2026). "Gandhi Talks movie review: Vijay Sethupathi can't save this ambitious silent film". The Indian Express .
  18. "'Gandhi Talks' movie review: Vijay Sethupathi's silent film fulfils part of its mission". The Hindu . 24 November 2023. Archived from the original on 26 November 2023. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  19. "Vijay Sethupathi's silent film Gandhi Talks is an ode to its predecessor Pushpak". The News Minute . 23 November 2023. Archived from the original on 14 January 2024. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  20. "'നിശബ്ദം' പ്രേക്ഷക ഹൃദയത്തിൽ തൊടുന്ന ഗാന്ധി ടോക്ക്സ് | Gandhi Talks Review". Mathrubhumi (in Malayalam). 22 November 2023. Archived from the original on 23 November 2023. Retrieved 20 June 2024.