On 30th January 1948, Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated on the steps of Birla House in New Delhi as he headed towards his multi-faith evening prayers.
After his death and even during his lifetime, there have been multiple efforts to record and portray the Mahatma on the silver screen. The first documentary that was made on him was in 1940. AK Chettiar edited almost 50,000 feet of material that he had collected from the world over to a final of an hour and 21 minutes.
Key Highlights:-
- Indian Cinema has always been fascinated by the life of Mahatma Gandhi
- Subject of scores of films, the Mahatma wasn’t keen on films himself
- His portrayal has changed from reverence in the 1950s to relevance in the 2000s
Interestingly, the subject of the documentary himself, considered films 'evil'. In his response to a questionnaire sent to him by the Indian Cinematograph Committee in 1927-28, he had responded with, "Even if I was so minded, I should be unfit to answer your questionnaire, as I have never been to a cinema. But even to an outsider, the evil that it has done and is doing is patent. The good, if it has done any at all, remains to be proved."
Narendra Kaushik in his book 'Mahatma Gandhi in Cinema' outlines the leader's disdain for cinema in a greater detail.
Whether or not the leader preferred cinema, Indian cinema has always been fascinated by The Gandhian principles and has used them creatively over the years. Be it to define the prevalence of human intellect and labour over machinery in Naya Daur or right up to the time when Sanjay Dutt's imagination conjures up a hallucination of the leader to guide him through his many trials in Lage raho Munnabhai.
The approach towards Gandhi's internationally respected principles of Truth and Non-violence has changed over the years. Where the principles were approached with worship-like reverence in the 1950s, other movies like Jagriti and Naya Daur to Lage Raho Munnabhai put Gandhian principles to practical applications in contemporary settings.
1. Gandhi
Richard Attenborough's dream project, the most widely known biopic on Mahatma Gandhi, arguably tops this list. The film received 11 nominations in the 1983 Oscars, winning eight of them including the Best Picture. Sir Ben Kingsley received the Oscar for Best Actor for his role as 'Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi'. Kingsley's father was an Indian Gujarati, a justification that was given for his casting. An interesting fact is that Kingsley was reading a book on Mahatma Gandhi when Attenborough contacted him first for this casting. Attenborough took this as a 'sign'.
2. The Making of A Mahatma
The 1996, Shyam Benegal classic outlines the early years of the life of MK Gandhi that first made him 'Bapu' and then, 'Mahatma Gandhi'. The film explores Gandhi as a lawyer, his first tryst with racism, a man in making, a man yet to define his principles. Mahatma Gandhi's role was essayed by seasoned actor Rajit Kapoor. The film had won two national awards, including the Best Actor Award and received major critical acclaim.
3. Hey Ram
Titled with the last words of the Mahatma, the movie explores the communal tension brewing in India following the independence and partition that ultimately led to the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. The movie stars Kamal Hasan and Shahrukh Khan in extremely strong roles. Kamal Haasan essays the role of assassin Nathu Ram Godse.
While the above movies explore his social and political lives, the following three take a peek in his personal life and explore the relevance of Gandhian principles in the lives of millennials.
4. Gandhi, My father
The film revolves around the strained relationship between Gandhi and his eldest son Harilal. Portrayed by Akshay Khanna, Harilal is a disillusioned son who is unable to match the stature of his revered father. His father, caught up in socio-political life, fails to address the needs of his family, and the events lead to Hiralal becoming an alcoholic. A brave attempt, to explore the heretofore unseen facets of Bapu's life, Gandhi, My Father raises many poignant questions.
5. Lage Raho Munnabhai
A typical Vidhu Vinod Chopra screen affair, Lage Raho Munnabhai explores the relevance of Gandhi in modern times. The film explores the practicality of Gandhi in everyday life. This hilarious yet profound cinematic experience starring Sanjay Dutt, Vidya Balan and Arshad Warsi will leave you in splits and in tears, and with questions you'd want to answer.
Honourable Mentions
A Road to Sangam
A god-fearing Muslim mechanic, played by Paresh Rawal is entrusted the responsibility to repair the engine of an old Ford car. Unknown to him, this car was the same that carried the last remains of Mahatma Gandhi.
Maine Gandhi ko Nahi Mara
A retired professor suffers dementia and hallucinates of shooting Mahatma Gandhi with his toy gun.
Nine Hours to Rama
This 1963 British movie tries to reconstruct the nine hours before the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi.
BONUS!
Sabarmati Ke Sant
Listen to this beautiful song, entailing the contributions and impact of Mahatma Gandhi on the struggle of Indian Independence. The song is from the movie Jagriti (1957), where a school teacher follows Gandhian principles to change the life of his students.
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