Synopsis
Gandhi, My Father explores the
relationship between Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
and his son, Harilal Gandhi. Forced to live under
the shadow of such a great father, Harilal desperately
tries to eke out his own identity. His aim to
study law in England is thwarted by his father
who feels that there should be equality in for
all, irrespective of who they are. Gandhi's attempt
to stick to his principles to set an example fr
the people of India is often at the cost of a
normal family life for his son. Not agreeable
to this, Harilal rebels and fails as to reconcile
with his father's vision. He roams the streets
as a vagabond, confused and aimless, turning to
alcohol which kills him within five months of
Gandhi’s assasination.
 Gandhi,
My Father is the directorial debut of well-known
theatre director Feroz Abbas Khan, a man respected
not only for exploring new forms in Indian theatre
but also for bringing Hindi theatre into the mainstream.
He is best known for his adaptations of The
Royal Hunt of the Sun, Death of a Salesman
and perhaps his most famous play - Mahatma
v/s Gandhi, which was extremely well-received
the world over. However, more than the play, the
film is based on Harilal’s biography by
Chandulal Dalal, a renowned Gandhian scholar.
While enough has been written and said about
Gandhiji, the icon and national leader, very little
is known about the personal, family side of the
man, especially as his role of a father. When
he came across the stormy relationship with Harilal
through one of Gandhiji’s grandsons - Gopal
Gandhi, now Governor of West Bengal - Feroz Khan
was moved deeply enough to explore this side of
Gandhi.
The story that takes place between 1906 and 1948
is essentially a clash of values – of looking
at Gandhi's relentless struggle for Indian freedom
versus Harilal's personal aspirations, set in
time of closely-knit, traditional joint families
where words of the elders were not challenged
and the youngsters had to make the sacrifices.
"We have to understand the era when these
values were prevalent," says Khan and that
it was that generation which got us our Independence.
But even if the focus of the film is the relationship
between the father and the son, Khan adds that
the female characters in the film - Kasturba and
Gulab - play vital roles. “The role of Kasturba
is very important as she was caught between her
absolute devotion to Gandhiji and her deep love
for Harilal. Gulab believed in her husband and
cared for him but also believed in the principles
of the Mahatma. So, this film has very powerful
moments with the women which highlight the tension
in the family."
Khan recalls that he initial days of shooting
were traumatic as film is a much more technical
medium and he was a theatre director. He had to
meticulously plan to the last detail, not just
with actors but also know when exactly to shout
'Action' and when to shout 'Cut!' He would sit
with his editor, learning what he should do and
what he shouldn’t do from the material that
was being shot. "In that sense, it was a
baptism by fire, but there was full support and
encouragement from Anil Kapoor," says Khan.
 Khan
was sure that for Gandhiji's role, the film had
to have an actor from Gujarat since Gandhiji too
was a Gujarati and the body language and mannerisms
would come naturally to the actor. What's more
the actor had to play Gandhiji both young and
old. "I did consider other actors but finally
it just had to be Darshan. I had seen Shefali’s
work on stage and films and she was an automatic
and easy choice for Kasturba. Bhumika impressed
me tremendously in her audition, radiating the
innocence her character required. Several actors
were screen tested for Harilal but we couldn’t
find anybody. Anil Kapoor suggested Akshaye provided
he pass the screen test. He did. Akshaye fulfilled
my wish of being an actor, not a star. Today it
is impossible to think of anybody else in the
role. Akshaye is Hiralal." Akshaye too feels
that Harilal is the most challenging role he has
essayed so far.
One of the most moving scenes for Khan in the
film is at the railway station where Harilal fights
his way through the crowds to meet his parents
who are traveling in the train. He brings an orange
to give his mother and turns away from his father,
symbolizing his final rejection of him. This is
a true incident, documented in several writings
and books, says Khan adding that the dialogue
used in the film is in fact almost verbatim of
what was spoken.
The film is also a debut of sorts for Anil Kapoor
for whom this is a first foray into independent
film production. Anil admits that initially he
was wary to take on a project like this due to
its sensitive subject matter. But once he heard
the script, he was sold. From the onset, Anil
was very clear that the film had to measure up
to international standards and have an extremely
competent technical crew working for it. Large
credit for the way the film looks and feels is
to the Director of Photography, David MacDonald.
MacDonald has worked extensively in both commercials
and films, having worked with Ridley and Tony
Scott, among others. The film’s complex
sound design is by Resul Pookutty, well-known
for his work in sync sound in films like Matrubhoomi
and Black. The film is edited by the
very talented Sreekar Prasad.
Gandhi, My Father releases all over
on August 3, 2007.
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