A comprehensive film on the life of One of The World’s Most Important Leaders, GANDHI, should have been ideally made by one of his own countrymen. But ironically it got made by a master from another part of the world, Richard Attenborough who can now be considered as a specialist in making Biographical films on many world famous personalities.
It is quite astonishing that an Indian director couldn’t think of and conceive such an authentic motion picture project on our own FATHER OF THE NATION. And therefore the renowned director deserves full marks for attempting and successfully making a magnificent film on Gandhi’s life which has now become a benchmark for any other similar project made throughout the world.
Appreciated world wide as the Most Authentic Epic on the life of “GANDHI”, the movie finds its place among the best works of the director and also among the Top 100 movies list made by all the major film critiques and magazines in the entire globe. Honestly speaking, it was quite a remarkable achievement of Richard Attenborough that he was able to satisfy all the over-enthusiastic Indian Political Organisations with his film and not even a single person in India or abroad could point out any significant objection on any event or on the portrayal of many distinctive important characters in the movie (other than the minor objections on few scenes)
Ben Kingsley, played Gandhi in the film with his utmost dedication and sincerity, which shows on the screen and he does complete justice to the life time opportunity given to him by the director. In fact, such is the impact of his superb acting that even today if any actor does a role of Gandhi in any film, play or TV serial, then he is right away compared with Ben’s commendable effort in GANDHI. Rohini Hattangiri playing Gandhi's wife, performs equally well, speaking more with her silence than words. And Rohini did this difficult role of an old lady when she was actually pretty young in her real life.
As a lesser known fact, GANDHI was also the first motion picture, which got INDIA its first ever Oscar, won by Bhanu Athaiya for her perfect Costume Designing in the film. In all, the film won 8 OSCAR Awards including the BEST ACTOR, BEST PICTURE and BEST DIRECTOR award, that year.
For a better understanding of the project and its real importance, just see if you can catch hold of the International Two Disc Edition released by its makers, featuring the real life footage of Speeches and Interviews given by M. K. GANDHI at that time, which is indeed a rare treat to watch for all students of History and Cinema. In short, if you don’t want to read His Biography then watch this movie as a must, particularly the younger generation who only know GANDHI as a name read in their History books or as a photo put up on the walls of Government Offices, with respect.
Strongly recommended.
Directed By Richard Attenborough
Starring : Ben Kingsley, Rohini Hattangiri & More
Music By Ravi Shanker
Tags :
Gandhi, Richard Attenborough, Ben Kingsley, Rohini Hattangiri, Movies To See Before You Die, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, Biographical Movies.
