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Lage Raho Munnabhai

Rediscovering Gandhi, Bollywood ishtyle
02nd Oct 2007 21.14 IST
By Nikhil Kumar

The ideals and principles of Mahatma Gandhi are being rediscovered through Bollywood films.

Last year, we saw the lovable goon Munnabhai endorse Gandhi’s way of non-violence and turn the other cheek to his oppressors in Raju Hirani’s blockbuster Lage Raho Munnabhai .

This year, Feroz Abbas Khan’s Gandhi My Father took a more personal look at Gandhi’s life and explored his troubled relation with his eldest son Harilal Gandhi.

In their own ways, both the films have revived interest in Gandhi. After ‘Lage Raho Munnabhai’ many instances were reported from cities and small towns where people began sending flowers to those they had differences with. Angry slogans were replaced with ‘Get Well Soon’ messages, and Gandhigiri became a way of life for some, if not many.

‘Gandhi My Father’, on the other hand, has brought to the fore the tragic and seldom-told tale of Harilal Gandhi and his failed relation with his father Mahatma Gandhi. Even as the movie peeks deep into Harilal’s life, it also depicts how Gandhi never showed favoritism towards his son.

The movie has sparked off debates and discussions. At a recent ‘Idea Exchange’ discussion organized by Indian Express, the movie’s producer Anil Kapoor , director Feroz Abbas Khan , actor Akshaye Khanna and Gandhi scholar Tridip Suhrud discussed Mahatma Gandhi and ‘Gandhi My Father’.

Talking about the difficult process of making ‘Gandhi My Father’, Feroz Khan said: “There was personal anguish and a deep sense of responsibility, and the question whether I had the moral credentials to even question a man like Gandhi. Another question that arose was whether Harilal was a yardstick to understand a great man like Gandhi.”

When the Gandhi scholar Tridip Suhrud was asked what he thought of ‘Lage Raho Munnabhai’, he answered: “Munnabhai is the model of how Gandhi gets reduced to 20 expected questions. He becomes palatable without his spirituality and deep politics, and without the sternness that comes with this.”

Anil Kapoor said he wept when he first heard the script of ‘Gandhi My Father’ and he did not produce the film as a commercial venture but more as an artistic endeavor.

When asked how relevant Gandhi’s ideals are in today’s world, Kapoor said: “Gandhiji’s ideals are absolutely relevant today when the world is witnessing so much violence.”

True indeed. Even the United Nations has honoured Gandhiji by declaring October 2 as International Day of Non-Violence.

Related
Lage Raho Munnabhai
Gandhi My Father
Anil Kapoor
Feroz Abbas Khan
Akshaye Khanna


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