Rahul Bhat on playing Sanjay Gandhi in Summer of 76

Rahul Bhat, recently seen in Kennedy, is set to take on one of the most complex roles of his career, playing Sanjay Gandhi in political drama Summer of 76. The actor who became popular with the TV show Heena and was seen in Section 375 and Dobaaraa, said, “What struck me immediately was the intensity of his personality. Sanjay Gandhi was someone who carried enormous ambition, impatience and conviction at a very young age. When I approached the character, I was less interested in the political label attached to him and more in the human being, the psychology of a young man operating in extraordinary circumstances and wielding extraordinary power.”

Talking about the prep for the role, he tells us, “The preparation involved studying archival footage, photographs, interviews and written accounts to understand not just how he spoke or walked, but how he carried himself in a room. I also had a very early personal memory connected to him. As a little boy, I had met Sanjay Gandhi once. I remember sitting on his lap and he offered me biscuits. My uncle, AK Bhat, (who was known as Bhat saab in Kashmir) knew him closely, so I had seen him around during that time. I was far too young to understand who he was then, so it remained only a faint childhood memory.”



Meanwhile, his last film, Anurag Kashyap directorial, Kennedy, co-starring Sunny Leone, released after a long wait. The actor also got applauded for his role in the film. About his approach towards picking up the projects, the actor signed off saying, "My focus has always been on the craft and on characters that allow me to explore the darker, more complicated sides of human behaviour. Kennedy is very special in that journey because the character operates in a very internal space ,there is a lot happening beneath the surface. It demanded a certain stillness, restraint and emotional control. In many ways it represents the kind of actor I want to continue becoming, someone who trusts silence, detail and psychological depth more than spectacle."Get the latest entertainment updates from the Times of India, along with the latest Hindi movies, upcoming Hindi movies in 2026 , and Telugu movies.”