Martyrs' Day: Five Cinematic Tributes On Mahatma Gandhi

Best known as The Father of our Nation, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi is a name that has come to represent India's independence struggle. He is one of those figures who are well-known throughout the world for his approach to fighting injustice. Gandhi's techniques, from 'Ahimsa' to 'Satyagraha, are used by leaders all over the world. Without him, the story of the Indian Independence Struggle would be incomplete.

Gandhi was assassinated on January 30, 1948, by Nathuram Godse. On the 74th death anniversary of the dignitary, here are five films you must watch to get a closer view of Gandhi’s life and his principles.

‘Gandhi’, the movie (1983)

‘Gandhi’, winner of eight Academy Awards and one of the most well-known films, was the dream project of legendary British filmmaker Richard Attenborough. Everything you need to know about Mahatma Gandhi and Indian independence is covered in this film.

‘The Making of Mahatma’ (1996)

This film was directed by Shyam Benegal and produced by India and South Africa as a joint venture. Gandhi's 21-year stay in South Africa is documented in this film. It shows how Gandhi used nonviolence to combat a serious issue such as racial discrimination in this case and came to be known as ‘Mahatma’. The book ‘The Apprenticeship of a Mahatma’, written by Fatima Meer, provided the inspiration for this film.

‘Hey Ram’ (2000)

A story set during the partition period is told in a 22-year-old historical drama by Kamal Hassan. The story follows Saketh Ram, a Hindu archaeologist who becomes a Hindu extremist after his wife is raped and murdered by a Muslim group. He then accuses Gandhi of the incident, plotting to assassinate him by blaming everything on his decision to partition India.

'Lage Raho Munna Bhai' (2006)

Gandhi's doctrine, popularly known as ‘Gandhigiri’ in the Rajkumar Hirani film starring Sanjay Dutt, has long been referenced in fiction and modern culture. Mahatma Gandhi, played by Marathi actor Dilip Prabhavalkar, became more relatable to the younger generation in ‘Lage Raho Munna Bhai’ more so because, rather than focusing on Mahatma Gandhi and his life, the film emphasized Gandhian principles and how they can be applied in today's world.

'Gandhi, My Father' (2007)

‘Gandhi, My Father’ is a 2007 film based on Harilal Gandhi's (Mahatma Gandhi's son) biography, ‘Harilal Gandhi: A Life by Chandulal Bhagubhai Dalal’. It won three national awards. This film was directed by Feroz Abbas Khan. The film's central theme is Gandhi's troubled relationship with his eldest son Harilal. And a gap is created between being a father to his beautiful sons and being the father of the nation, which is then filled by the end of this film.