Kanika Dhillon gives Mahabharata’s Gandhari a modern twist

With “Gandhari”, writer-producer Kanika Dhillon has sought to reinvent the iconic character from the Mahabharata as a woman who takes control of her own destiny and fights her battles in the contemporary world.

Set in the fictional town of Joypurra, the film follows Bani, played by Taapsee Pannu, whose desperate search for her kidnapped daughter leads her into a dangerous and unexpected reality. Directed by Devashish Makhija, the emotional action thriller marks another collaboration between Dhillon and Pannu.

Dhillon said she deliberately moved away from the traditional portrayal of Gandhari, whose identity in the epic is closely linked to her husband Dhritarashtra and her decision to blindfold herself. Instead, she wanted to give the character greater agency and allow her to act on her own choices.

The filmmaker said the story was initially inspired not by mythology but by her experience of motherhood and the intense fear and vulnerability surrounding a child’s safety. She described a mother’s instinct to protect her child as a powerful force capable of pushing her beyond every boundary.

The film also allowed Dhillon to explore the action genre, which she has long been interested in. Pannu’s character was partly influenced by Dhillon’s college experience of volunteering with visually impaired people and witnessing how they could transform perceived limitations into strengths.

“Gandhari”, also starring Ishwak Singh, Chhaya Kadam, Swastika Mukherjee, Mita Vashisht and Jatin Sarna, premiered on Netflix on September 3. Dhillon has also confirmed plans to make her directorial debut, though she has not revealed details of the project.

with inputs from PTI