Dalip Tahil talks about his 'Samvidhaan' experience

“While we all know that Babasaheb Ambedkar framed one of the greatest Constitutions of the world – the Indian Constitution, very few of us know how it was created and fewer still the role played by Pandit Nehru and other leaders of the era. Today, not many can visualize the exciting backdrop on which the Constitution was created. When work first started in December 1946, India was on the cusp of freedom. The nation was throbbing with raw energy, in an atmosphere of purpose, optimism, vision and teamwork. In a way, all of these are reflected in our Constitution,” says Dalip Tahil, the veteran actor who will be seen playing the role of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru in the magnum opus TV show, Samvidhaan. The ten part series on the making of the Constitution of India, Samvidhaan was premiered recently at Parliament Library, New Delhi amid the presence of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Vice President Hamid Ansari, Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Rajiv Shukla, BJP Spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad and members of the current Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. The show will be aired on Rajya Sabha TV from 2 March (2014). A re-creation of the constituent assembly of India that sat from December 1946 to November 1949, Samvidhaan marks the comeback of Shyam Benegal to television after such series as Yatra and Bharat Ek Khoj. The show has Sachin Khedekar playing Babasaheb Ambedkar and Neeraj Kabi as Mahatma Gandhi. “I love prepping for roles. I had done a large part of my research and reading for playing the part of Panditji in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag and then a year later, when Samvidhaan was offered, I was more than happy to be a part of the series,” says Dalip Tahil, who is now emerging as directors’ first choice for the role of Nehru. “Pandit Nehru was one of the most exciting characters of that era. Idealistic, visionary, well read and gifted with exceptional looks, he balanced the ideas of romanticism, conscience and science. The first cabinet of Independent India included even his adversaries like Shyamaprasad Mukherjee and Sir R K Shanmukham Chetty besides of course, Babasaheb Ambedkar,” he adds. Interestingly, back in 1982 Dalip Tahil had played Zia, Jawaharlal Nehru’s friend, in the Richard Attenborough film, Gandhi and then three decades later is playing the part of Nehru himself. Also, veteran director, Shyam Benegal was the director for Tahil’s first movie Ankur. “Understanding the process involved in the making of the Constitution, the challenges faced, and attention paid by the framers to the minutest details, will not only enable us to appreciate our Samvidhaan better, but also respect it,” concludes Tahil. Do watch the show.