Gandhi Jayanti 2021: 'Gandhi My Father' to 'Hey Ram', 6 films inspired by life of Bapu

Because of his pivotal role in India's freedom movement, Mahatma Gandhi is hailed as the 'Father of the Nation.' Mahatma Gandhi, also known as 'Gandhi Ji' or 'Baapu,' initiated several significant initiatives and activities against British rule in India, including the Non-cooperation movement and the Salt Satyagraha. As a result, every year on October 2, his birthday is commemorated as Gandhi Jayanti to honour and pay tribute to him. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born in Porbandar, also known as Sudamapuri, a coastal town on the Kathiawar Peninsula and then part of the small princely state of Porbandar in the Indian Empire's Kathiawar Agency, on October 2, 1869, into a Gujarati Hindu Modh Bania family. His father, Karamchand Uttamchand Gandhi, was the dewan (chief minister) of the state of Porbandar. 

Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated on 30 January 1948 at age 78 in the compound of Birla House (now Gandhi Smriti), a large mansion in central New Delhi. His assassin was Nathuram Vinayak Godse. Godse was captured by members of the crowd—the most widely reported of whom was Herbert Reiner Jr, a vice-consul at the American embassy in Delhi—and handed over to the police. The Gandhi murder trial opened in May 1948 in Delhi's historic Red Fort, with Godse the main defendant, and his collaborator Narayan Apte and six others the co-defendants. Godse and Apte were hanged in the Ambala jail on 15 November 1949.

Movies on Mahatma Gandhi or with references to principles of Gandhiji

RICHARD ATTENBOROUGH’S GANDHI (1982)

Ben Kingsley's portrayal of Bapu is well known.  The film depicts Mahatma Gandhi's life from his childhood until his assassination and cremation in 1948. The director had to overcome numerous obstacles in order to show his film to the public. Richard Attenborough was finally allowed to hear the tale of the universal icon for peace and non-violence to the globe in 1982, after 20 years of rejections.

THE MAKING OF THE MAHATMA (1996)

The Making Of The Mahatma was released in 1996 and depicted Bapu's early childhood. Due to the unique storyline that highlighted Mahatama Gandhi's life in South Africa, Shyam Benegal's directorial endeavour was warmly received. He resided there for 21 years and through his work, he changed the lives of countless people. The Making Of The Mahatma is based on Fatima Meer's book The Apprenticeship of a Mahatma.

HEY RAM (2000)

Kamal Hassan portrayed Saket Ram, the protagonist, in a supporting role. The crowds were moved by the film based on Bengal's partition. Hey Ram, which was released in 2000, was a box office success.

LAGE RAHO MUNNABHAI (2006)

The Gandhi reference in pop culture is most likely found in Raju Hirani's 2006 Bollywood film starring Sanjay Dutt. The film is based on the story of an underworld don who decides to serve people by adopting Gandhian values and philosophies.

GANDHI, MY FATHER (2007)

Before the release of this film, few people were aware of Mahatma Gandhi's rocky relationship with his son Hiralal Gandhi. Gandhi, My Father, which was shot in South Africa and various Indian sites, left a lasting impression on the audience. Darshan Jariwala, Akshaye Khanna, and Bhumika Chawla appear in the film.

GANDHI TO HITLER (2011)

Gandhi To Hitler, based on the infamous letter exchange between Mahatma Gandhi and Adolf Hitler during World War II, failed to impress its audience. The multilingual video was a new perspective on a lesser-known portion of Mahatma Gandhi's life, which was interpreted by many as a glorifying of Hitler's beliefs.

(IMAGE: PTI)