New Dec 25 (IANS): "The Gandhi Murder" is a commercial historical thriller and not a "festival film", says its producer Lakshmi R. Iyer.

"It (the film) is our take on the real truth behind Mahatma Gandhi's assassination on January 30, 1948. This is not a festival film. It is an action thriller, and a commercial historical thriller. So, we are releasing it commercially. Mahatma Gandhi is one of the best known men who ever lived," Iyer told IANS.

"The Gandhi Murder" will be released worldwide on January 30, 2019.

"It explores the situation in the country immediately after the Independence and partition, and the anger of the people, who, on both sides of the border found themselves homeless.

"Family members butchered in cold blood, women raped and killed, men and children set on fire, it was a terrible time in India," she shared.

It was important for the makers to cast actors who understood performance and who could give it their everything.

"And we wanted the movie to be international, as the same hatred and nationalism is increasingly coming back across the globe. It is a multi-starrer, and each actor has delivered a master performance," she said.

Talking about the cast, she said: "Stephen Lang and Luke Pasqualino play the leads of two police officers, based on real life characters. Lang's character is based on the then DIG CID, U.H. Rana, and Luke plays his friend, the celebrated then DCP - Bombay, Jimmy Nagarwala."

On roping in American actor Stephen Lang, she said: "In the lead role, we wanted an actor who understands acting from a theatre point of view. And it is a dark role. Not everyone can play such a role to perfection. Lang is a unique actor in that sense. And his performance is mind blowing."

The film also stars late actor Om Puri, who plays the first Director of Intelligence Bureau of independent India.

"The movie explores that if Mahatma Gandhi was important enough to be protected, why did the police not act on time," she said.