Gandhians protest against Gandhi My Father

Mahatma Gandhi has once again became a subject of controversy. A new film based on Mahatma Gandhi, focusing on his allegedly strained relationship with his eldest son, has drawn protests from Gandhians in Bihar.

Gandhians have urged President A P J Abdul Kalam, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, and Information and Broadcasting Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi to stop the release of Gandhi My Father as it is based on the controversial aspects of the life of the Father of the Nation.

Watch Gandhi My Father trailer below

The film, directed by veteran theatre personality and debutant film director Feroz Abbas Khan, explores the Mahatma’s supposedly uncomfortable relationship with his eldest son, Harilal, who embraced Islam.

The film, which is the first independent production of Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor, was shot in Hindi and English over a period of 100 days.

Gandhi My Father, shot in South Africa and several cities in India, is scheduled for release on August 3, 2007.

Akshaye Khanna plays the role of Harilal, Darshan Jariwala that of Mahatma Gandhi, and Shefali Chhaya appears as Kasturba Gandhi in the film.

Interestingly, veteran Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor, 57, himself does not act in Gandhi My Father. Anil Kapoor said he did not want to act in the film as he felt that that he would have compromised his roles as a producer and as an actor if he had tried to do both. “As actors we are all narcissists, self-indulgent, but I felt true to the script,” Anil Kapoor told reporters.

Razi Ahmad, 70, a Gandhian, said on behalf of Gandhians, “We strongly feel that the film should not be released,” and added that Gandhians are against the release of the film as it portrays Mahatma Gandhi in bad light.

The name of Mahatma Gandhi or that of any other national leader, argues Razi Ahmad, should not be used for commercial purposes. “It is against the law of the land.”

Razi Ahmad, who is also secretary of Gandhi Sangrahalay in Patna, Bihar, is of the view that no attempt to tarnish the image of national heroes should be permitted.

The film Gandhi My Father narrates incidents from Mahatma Gandhi’s life between 1906 and 1948 and uses the-then socio-political structure as its backdrop.

…to be continued…