Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. The name needs no introduction. The Father of the Nation, Gandhi Ji had left such an impact over the Indians that he had been the subject of several documentaries, books, and movies. Cinema has tried really hard to portray the life of this historical figure. Several filmmakers have attempted to highlight his character onscreen. So, in honour of his birthday on the 2nd of October, we have put together a list of some of the memorable movies and documentaries based on his life which you should be watching.
1. Gandhi (1982)
Gandhi is a 1982 British Indian film directed by Richard Attenborough with Ben Kingsley portraying the role of the Mahatma.
The film focuses on his early life in South Africa and follows through the era when he took part in the freedom struggle until his assassination in 1948. Undoubtedly one of the best Gandhi movies, you have got to watch it if you haven’t already!
2. Gandhi My Father
While most of the films try to dramatize the life of Mahatma Gandhi, Gandhi My Father is another gem which highlights the troubled relationship between Mahatma Gandhi and his son Hiralal Gandhi.
The film features Akshaye Khanna as Hiralal Gandhi, while Darshan Jariwala plays Gandhi’s character. Depicting more of the Mahatma’s personal life, this is yet another brilliant film.
3. The Making of the Mahatma (1996)
A collaboration between India and South Africa, The Making of the Mahatma is a 1996 film about Gandhi Ji’s 21-year stay in South Africa where he actually adopted his non-violence movement towards racial discrimination. Directed by Shyam Benegal, the film is actually an adaptation of the book The Apprenticeship of a Mahatma by Fatima Meer.
4. Gandhi to Hitler
Directed by Rakesh Ranjan Kumar, this is a super interesting film based on the second world war. The film features Raghibir Yadav as Adolf Hitler and Avijit Dutt as Mahatma Gandhi. The film shows Hitler trying to assist India in gaining independence from the British rule while Mahatma Gandhi writes letters to him to stop the violence.
5. Mahatma: Life of Gandhi (1968)
It’s evident that an iconic figure like the father of our nation has a number of documentaries based on his life. But one that you must watch is the 1968 film Mahatma: Life of Gandhi. Directed by Vithalbhai Jhaveri, the black and white documentary details the life of Mahatma Gandhi through animation, live photography and some old stills.
6. Sardar
A 1993 biopic on Sardar Vallabhai Patel a.k.a The Iron Man of India. The Ketan Mehta movie showed the association of Patel with Gandhiji to attain independence. Annu Kapoor was seen essaying the role of Mahatma Gandhi and Paresh Rawal was seen donning the role of Sardar Patel.
7. Mahatma Gandhi – 20th Century Prophet (1953)
Mahatma Gandhi – 20th Century Prophet is a documentary that is not much heard about, but it is definitely a must-watch! The 1953 film made by travelogue writer and journalist A K Chettiar, contains some of the rarest of the rare video footages, including Bapu’s first interview to a foreign journalist! Intrigued, are we?
Featured Image Source: Biography.com
