Gandhi has always been compelling, complex and strangely contemporary. The post independence generation grew up understanding Gandhi through others: till all of us discovered a deep wound he carried in his heart. Somewhere in the shadows of this great man lived his son, roaming the streets of India like a beggar.
Eros International released next global release, Gandhi My Father, on August 3, one of the most revolutionary films ever to emerge from India. It has already begun attracting attention from domestic as well as international audiences as it tells the untold story of Gandhi's tragic relationship with his eldest son.
The popularity of the idea can be judged by the fact that former South African President and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Nelson Mandela, has requested for a private screening of the film later this month. Hollywood actors Will Smith and Goldie Hawn, who are known Gandhi supporters, have already seen the film's show reel. Smith was quoted as saying he was "very impressed with the canvas of the film and the emotional intensity of the actors".
The film delves into a territory that has never before been visited by film, and will spark debates by bringing to light an unknown facet of the personal history of a man who transformed the soul of a nation, but who could not save the soul of his own son. 'Harilal', Gandhi's son, played by Akshaye Khanna converts to Islam as a rebellion, reconverts to Hinduism as a penance and finally drinks himself to death.
Based on his thought-provoking play, Mahatma v/s Gandhi, veteran thespian of Indian theatre and cinema Feroz Abbas Khan has combined his unparalleled talents as a writer and director with the production skills of fellow industry stalwart Anil Kapoor, to create the most affecting film of modern times.
With mesmerizing performance by Akshaye Khanna as the protagonist and an excellent screenplay, the film by all means is a 'must see'. Feroz Abbas Khan's filmic tour de force focuses on the doomed relationship between a father respected by an entire nation, but rebuked by a son who was disowned.
At the forefront of Indian theatre today, Feroz Abbas Khan is recognized as much for exploring new forms, as for bringing Hindi theatre and film, mainstream recognition. In a career spanning more than two decades, he has directed some of India's finest acting talent, both from stage and cinema, and his English theatre production of Mahatma v/s Gandhi created a sensation wherever it was staged. Gandhi My Father, was recently screened in New York also.
The audience at the Museum of the Moving Image (MoMI) theatre on hardly had any Indian Americans. But they were all glued to the highly emotional drama played out between Mahatma Gandhi and his wayward eldest son Harilal.
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