Sir Ben Kinglsey played Gandhi because he wanted to feel close to a father figure.
The 70-year-old actor had a tough childhood, which he previously described as "horrible", partly because of his absent dad, so portraying the leader of India’s non-violent independent movement against Britain in ‘1982’ movie Gandhi helped him to plug the gap of his missing parent.
He said: "At the time I just felt that Bapu [an affectionate nickname for Gandhi, meaning dad] was something I needed. ‘I need you Gandhiji. Because you are something that’s missing in my life.’ "
Kingsley – whose birth name is Krishna Bhanji – admitted playing other strong character has enabled him to fill a "vacuum" in his life created by his tough upbringing.
He explained: "I am actually filling a vacuum with the fathers that I play.
"By playing Gandhi, Itzhak Stern, Massoud Behrani, I am filling the vacuum in me. In little Krishna."
The father-of-four also had a tough time with his two brothers and sister, which he admits is still a "scar" in his life.
He added to The Times newspaper: "All I can tell you is that my four children, from different mamas, love each other very much. Whereas the sibling rivalry between me and my siblings is still a scar on us and we are not close."
Ben Kinglsey: Gandhi role was my father figure
