Cinema Has Loved Gandhi; Get Ready To See Him Again

For
Mahatma
Gandhi,
cinema
was
a
corrupting
influence
on
young
minds,
a
‘sinful
technology’.
It
is
that
very
medium
which
has
become
the
message
of
the
Mahatma’s
life
and
philosophy.

From
biopics
like
Richard
Attenborough’s

Gandhi
(1982)
or
as
the
unseen
force
in

Lage
Raho
Munna
Bhai,
a
2006
film
directed
by
Rajkumar
Hirani,
his
life
story
and
ideas
have
received
myriad
treatments.

Since
India’s
Independence
and
even
before,
the
Father
of
the
Nation
influenced
many
films,
stage
shows,
and
now
streamers.
Some
were
based
on
his
life,
while
others
propagated
the
values
he
espoused
during
his
lifetime.

Gandhi,
whose
155th
birth
anniversary
was
observed
on
Wednesday,
October
2,
watched
just
one
Hindi
film
in
his
life:
Vijay
Bhatt’s

Ram
Rajya
in
the
1940s.
The
movie
was
based
on
the
Ramayana,
according
to
the
2020
book

Mahatma
Gandhi
in
Cinema
by
Narendra
Kaushik.

‘Gandhi
had
agreed
to
see
only
select
reels
of
the
movie
for
40
minutes
but
ended
up
watching
the
film
for
an
hour-and-a-half.
Film-maker
Vijay
Bhatt,
a
fellow
Gujarati
of
Gandhi,
later
claimed
that
the
Mahatma
looked
‘cheerful’
at
the
end
of
the
show,’
Kaushik
wrote
in
his
book.

But
Gandhi
did
not
think
very
highly
of
cinema
as
he
believed
films,
both
Hindi
and
foreign
as
well,
promoted
immorality
and
corrupted
young
minds,
he
further
said
in
the
book.

‘When
T
Rangachariar,
the
then
chairman
of
the
Cinematograph
Committee
placed
a
questionnaire
before
him
to
know
his
views
on
cinema
in
1937,
the
father
of
the
Indian
nation
described
cinema
a
“sinful
technology”.
Gandhi
considered
cinema
a
waste
of
resources
and
time,’
he
said.

Despite
Gandhi’s
disdain,
cinema
has
loved
him
unconditionally.
From

Jagriti
in
1954
to

Lage
Raho
Munnabhai
in
2006,
the
list
is
long.

Gandhi
was
eulogised
by
Hindi
poet
Kavi
Pradeep
in
the
song

De
Di
Hamein
Azadi
Bina
Khadag,
Bina
Dhaal,
Sabarmati
Ke
Sant
Tune
Kar
Diya
Kamal
(You
gave
us
freedom
without
using
any
weapons,
o
saint
of
Sabarmati,
you
are
great)
from

Jagriti.

Other
films
of
the
era
recall
the
complex
idealism
that
Gandhi
represented.

Dilip
Kumar’s
1957
movie

Naya
Daur
dealt
with
the
man
versus
machine
debate.

V
Shantaram’s

Do
Ankhen
Barah
Haath,
released
the
same
year,
focuses
on
the
rehabilitation
of
six
criminals
by
a
humane
jail
warden.

There
is
an
entire
genre
of
films
based
on
chapters
from
Gandhi’s
life
with
Attenborough’s

Gandhi
being
considered
the
pinnacle
of
his
depiction
in
cinema.

While
it
was
a
British
production,
the
film
had
a
monumental
influence
on
Indian
cinema’s
approach
to
Gandhi’s
portrayal.
It
won
Ben
Kingsley
the
Best
Actor
Oscar
trophy.

Many
films
have
chosen
to
focus
on
specific
aspects
of
Gandhi’s
life
story.

The
Sanjay
Dutt-
starrer

Lage
Raho
Munna
Bhai
popularised
the
concept
of

Gandhigiri
through
its
story
of
a
simple-hearted
goon
who
finds
guidance
in
Gandhi’s
teachings.
He
was
played
by
Dilip
Prabhavalkar
in
the
movie.

Films
like
Shyam
Benegal’s

The
Making
of
the
Mahatma
in
1996
took
a
nuanced
look
at
Gandhi’s
transformation
from
a
young
lawyer
in
South
Africa
into
the
Mahatma.

Starring
Rajit
Kapoor,
the
film
was
based
on
by
Fatima
Meer’s
book

Apprenticeship
of
a
Mahatma.

Another
movie,

Gandhi,
My
Father
by
Feroz
Abbas
Khan,
presented
a
more
intimate
portrayal
of
Gandhi
(Darshan
Jariwala)
the
man
and
focused
on
his
strained
relationship
with
his
son
Harilal,
played
by
Akshaye
Khanna.

The
2007
film
made
a
stark
contrast
between
Gandhi’s
public
image
and
his
private
life,
revealing
the
emotional
toll
that
his
mission
for
independence
took
on
his
family.

There
were
many
other
films
in
which
Gandhi
plays
a
prominent
role
—

The
Legend
Of
Bhagat
Singh,
Netaji
Subhas
Chandra
Bose:
The
Forgotten
Hero,
Viceroy’s
House
and
the
television
show

Samvidhaan being
some
of
them.

Meanwhile,
Kamal
Haasan’s

Hey
Ram
(2000)
took
a
critical
view
of
Gandhi,
reflecting
on
the
tumultuous
phase
of
Partition
and
the
communal
violence
that
accompanied
it.

The
movie,
which
featured
Naseeruddin
Shah
as
Gandhi,
explored
the
disillusionment
felt
by
many
of
his
followers.

In
his
autobiography

And
Then
One
Day,
Shah
has
written
about
his
efforts
to
bag
Kingsley’s
role
in
Attenborough’s
movie.

‘I
later
deducted
that
Ben
had
in
fact
already
been
cast
as
Gandhi
and
this
whole
process
of
tom-tomming
all
of
us
being
tested
and
sneaking
the
news
to
the
press
in
India
that
I
had
been
chosen
was
a
masquerade
conducted
to
pre-empt
objections
that
inevitably
would
have
arisen
if
a
white
actor
were
announced
straightway,’
Shah
wrote.

Gandhi
will
now
be
seen
in
two
upcoming
OTT
series
—
Hansal
Mehta’s

Gandhi,
starring
Pratik
Gandhi
in
the
title
role,
and

Freedom
at
Midnight
by
Nikkhil
Advani.
Backed
by
Applause
Entertainment,

Gandhi
is
based
on
historian
and
Ramachandra
Guha’s
books

Gandhi
before
India
and

Gandhi:
The
Years
that
Changed
the
World.

Pratik
Gandhi,
no
relation
to
the
Mahatma,
has
also
essayed
the
iconic
role
in

Mohan
No
Masalo,
a
2015
biographical
one-man
play
depicting
the
early
life
of
Gandhi.
It
is
directed
by
Manoj
Shah
and
written
by
Ishan
Doshi.

Freedom
at
Midnight
is
based
on
Dominique
Lapierre
and
Larry
Collins’
book.
It
features
Chirag
Vohra
as
Gandhi,
alongside
Sidhant
Gupta
as
Jawaharlal
Nehru
and
Rajendra
Chawla
as
Vallabhbhai
Patel.

According
to
the
makers,

Freedom
at
Midnight
is
an
epic
political
thriller
drama
that
highlights
‘several
incidents
from
the
year
of
India’s
Independence
and
interconnected
stories
about
crucial
events
and
personalities
who
played
a
significant
role
in
writing
the
country’s
history
as
we
know
today’.

Gandhi
Talks,
a
silent
film
starring
Vijay
Sethupathi,
Aditi
Rao
Hydari
and
Arvind
Swami,
is
also
in
the
works.