Portrayal of Gandhi in Hindi Cinema

Portrayal of Gandhi in Indian Cinema

Akash Kumar

M. Phil/Ph. D.

CUG/2014/1107

Abstract

There is too much information about Gandhi’s life in various books which are written by other scholars and by Gandhi himself. But common people cannot access those high academic literary works. Another medium which can be easily accessed by common man for knowing Gandhi except literary works is cinema, the most powerful and famous medium of expression in India. Now the question is has Indian cinema portrayed Gandhi’s life in a way by which common people can know the reality and contribution of their Rashtrapita. But there is merely two type of statement about Gandhi in common folks. One is about worshiping him like a God and other is abusing him without any basis. Both conditions are very dangerous for society, and it shows that there is a gap between Gandhi based cinemas and people. This article looks at the picture of Gandhi’s character in Indian cinema. It involves discovering how Gandhi showed by Indian film-makers. The goal is to present that film-makers depict Gandhi for making awareness about him to common viewers or only for creating a sensation to gain viewer’s attention. This study examines whether movies related with M.K. Gandhi have reflected his life as same as reflected in various literary works and help people in understanding Gandhi by a critical appreciation or they have ignored the consequences of distortion of a single fact even.

Keywords

Gandhi, cinema, dialectical, epistemology, hagiography

Introduction

Cinema is the most famous and interesting medium for expressing the ideas. As it is told that one image means hundred words, the cinema with its first emergence had gone beyond any criteria and it had assimilated hundred or thousand images to make a revolution in communication. A section of intellectuals including M.K. Gandhi also said that cinema is not a beneficiary institution for society, and here everything goes on the name of entertainment. But, after seeing its huge success and appealing capacity, for a large section of intellectuals it is also a tool to inform society about every significant historic event.The objective of cinema is very great which construct by to aware the society about different arts, cultures and events of the world. The essence of entertainment in cinema is only for making a relation between viewers and unknown society with an interesting and comfortable curiosity. The difference is very obvious, where literature benefits only the highly educated persons but cinema is for everyone. A large number of people who are excluded from education can develop their epistemology of various phenomena by cinema also. From this point of view, elaborating Gandhi’s portrait in Indian cinema is very important.

        Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi is undoubtedly the most popular personality in world history. His name acquires the first position in India’s freedom struggle. He changed the course of the future of entire world with his ideas of non-violence and experiments with truth. Albert Einstein remarked Gandhi, “Generations to come, it may be, will scarcely believe that such a one as this ever in flesh and blood walked upon this earth.” (as cited in Nanda, 1997: vii)

 It is to be noticed that Lord Willington, the Viceroy, wrote to Indian British authorities in 1933, “It is very important to view Gandhi as he is and what he poses to be.” (as cited in Nanda, 1997: vii)

        These arguments give the cue there is something in Gandhi which should be elucidate. The specificity of Gandhi also attracted various film-makers, Indian and foreigner to depict Gandhi with all possible aspect. Film critic and trade analyst,TaranAdarsh comments on him, “Gandhi is a personality that has national as well as international appeal. Our film industry is becoming global, so we want our characters to be noticed internationally.” (Adarsh, as cited in Jha, 2007)

        Gandhi is the only historic figure who repeated mostly on Indian silver screen. Although, his ideology was showed in various classical films but his physical presence is emerged in modern cinema.

From influencing the minds and ideologies of young Indians during the struggle for Independence to becoming a politician with an international stature - Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi is one man that India will always be proud of. And even 58 years after his death, he continues to inspire not just the likes of Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King Jr., but filmmakers too! (Jha, 2007)

Guess who’s the flavour of the season in Bollywood right now' No, it’s not the scrumptious King Khan, nor is it AB’s beautiful Baby. The man who’s got several film makers firmly in his thrall is none other than a thin,dhoti-clad, freedom fighter who was shot dead more than 50 years ago. Yes, it’s Mahatma Gandhi we’re talking about ' a national icon who is often regarded as someone who’s been largely forgotten by the young today. (Ramachandran, 2006)

The engagement of and with M.K. Gandhi has been widely hashed out in therealm of avowal, disavowal or eclectic acceptance. The practitioners of politics,social sciences as well as the apolitical practitioners establish intriguingrelationship with him. There are various vantage points. Gandhi himself providesvarious essential points concerning engagement with his philosophical terrain. Onthe other hand, one has to explore ‘interrogating’ grounds to engage with Gandhidue to his pervasive impact on Indian landscape. The popular Hindi cinema is oneof such ‘interrogating grounds’. It constitutes a third space maintaining relativeautonomy, or claims to be so, from the first space (preachers1/defenders2/beneficiaries3 of Gandhian legacies) and second space, the state apparatus. Its very nature generates enquiry. (Rai, 2011: 64)

Film journalist, SumitJha raises the question, “Why Gandhi happens to be the only historical character who is still so talked about through films- both nationally and internationally.”(Jha, 2007) Responses are following.

Veteran director ShyamBenegal who directed ‘The Making of the Mahatma’, answers:

Mahatma Gandhi has all the qualities an audience would like to see on screen. This was the reason why I chose to make a film on the Mahatma. Today, when violence is gripping the entire world, his unconditional plea for non-violence acquires greater importance. And with the changing face of cinema, people want to see something creative - something other than violence and destruction and who can provide that better than the Mahatma? (Benegal, as cited in Jha, 2007)