GANDHI – MY FATHER

The other day, I got a chance to watch the movie called “Gandhi - My Father”. We have all heard plenty on Gandhi, his principles and his sacrifices (which at times is too overrated )…but Harilal Gandhi is a story untold. Watching this movie, I was really shocked, how such an integral part of Gandhi’s life, was never discussed before!? What touched me is…Gandhi…who transformed the soul of the entire nation, couldn’t save the soul of his own son. Director FIROZ ABBAS KHAN does a commendable job depicting the tragedy of the family and kudos to Anil Kapoor for having the guts and vision to make such a project which no Bollywood producer would have dared to touch.

The story depicts the biggest failure of Gandhi’s life, Gandhi…who was called the father of the nation, failed miserably when it comes to his eldest son…HARILAL MOHANDAS KARAMCHAND GANDHI. Harilal was keen on going to England to pursue law to become a barrister like his father and being called CHOTA GANDHI. But Gandhi would not allow him to study law since he was against western education and he wanted to pull him in to the SATYAGRAHA movement that he had started in South Africa. So Harilal left his father to follow his dreams but eventually failed miserably. After his wife’s death, he was completely shattered and got misguided by some Muslim leaders and got converted to Islam and renamed himself as ABDULLAH GANDHI...but later he got reconverted to Hinduism.

Some power house performances by Darshan Jariwala as Gandhi, Akshaye Khanna as Harilal and Shefali Shah as KASTURBA GANDHI. Akshaye Khanna has proved yet again that he is the most underrated actor in Bollywood, and he has certainly been not given his due. But a few things about the movie were a little incomprehensible…firstly there was no reason for Gandhi to oppose Harilal’s decision to get married. Another inconsistency is is Mahatma advocates other Indian students to go to England for a scholarship, but when it comes to his son, he sticks to Satyagraha and Indian vlues. Moreover…Kastuba Gandhi , affectionately being called "Ba"…had always stood alongside her husband through out her freedom struggle. In 1913 she was jailed and sentenced to 3 months of rigorous imprisonment. On numerous occasions she took her husband’s place when he was under arrest. She was always closely associated to the freedom struggle and encouraged women volunteers. Despite of her share in the struggle, she has scarcely received the attention she deserved. Her struggle is very much ignored in the venture…Gandhi - My Father.

Overall…a must watch…since movies like Gandhi – My father don’t come every Friday. Also because, it unlike other movies on Gandhi, doesn’t show Gandhi as a god –like figure, rather talks about his failures and weaknesses. It’s the saga of a son who rebelled against his father’s idealistic principles and sought to live where he would not have to live with the burden of being the son of an exemplary figure, Mahatma Gandhi. The movie doesn’t show Gandhi in negative light. It just shows how a son – an ordinary man with his own desires and weaknesses – is crushed under the weight of the high principles of his father.