“Gandhi” is an acclaimed movie that presents a staged version of life of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. The movie was directed by Richard Attenborough in the year 1982. Gandhi was a great leader of India who fought British to get independence and earned it in the year 1947. Though he fought English but not through the guns or violence. Gandhi was a firm believer in the non-violence and by applying the idea of non-violence, he earned India’s freedom. The movie presents his life, principles and his struggle in a communicative manner. This paper aims to propose a discussion on the movie, “Gandhi” and further discusses how Gandhi exhibited hid idea of non-violence.
The film begins with a scene wherein a man shoots Gandhi. Gandhi dies, and millions of Indians are shown attending his funeral. This scene is very sensitive where millions of people are mourning. The movie revolves around the life of Gandhi and covers every aspect of his life. Ben Kingsley has played the role of Mahatma Gandhi in this movie and secured academy award in the category of the best actor. The movie succeeds in every aspect of film making and director Attenborough gets full marks for his commendable task (Kingsley).
Attenborough is influenced by Gandhi and shows his respect for him by opening the movie using these words, “No man's life can be encompassed in one telling. There is no way to give each year its allotted weight, to include each event, each person who helped to shape a lifetime. What can be done is to be faithful in spirit to the record and try to find one's way to the heart of the man” (Kingsley).
Gandhi has been portrayed in very realistic manner in this movie. He has been portrayed struggling against various social and political evils throughout the movie. He fights racism, caste system, sexism, and other discriminations in India and also outside India. Gandhi starts his journey from the South Africa where he fights British for the rights of Asians and Africans. Gandhi has been portrayed fighting fearlessly against all kinds of discriminatory practices of British against others.
When Gandhi returns to India, he says that his countrymen are suffering various injustices. He decides to fight against all such discriminatory practices and opts non- violence as his weapon to fight against British. His ideas of non-violence appealed and attracted a huge number of Indians. He called them to fight against British but not by using violence. He suggested non-violence methods to fight British.
Gandhi believed in no-violence and strongly advocated for the same among his countrymen. There were several other groups that used to fight against British, but Gandhi never supported them because they were involved in violent practices. He even tried to convince others to abdicate the way of violence and fight through non-violent methods. Gandhi used non-violence to fight not only British, but also he used the same in order to fight social evils like communalism (Gandhi & Merton)
Non-violence, civil disobedience and satyagraha were his ways of fighting internal and external enemies. He believed that the Indian society faces a number of problems, and unless the society is improved, people will keep suffering. He was against every kind of oppression whether it was done by Indian landlords, or it was done by British. Gandhi was in favor of independent India, but he never supported violence.
Gandhi waged a war against the British rule through civil disobedience in the year 1930-31. He appealed every Indian to stop working, for British government in India. His appeal was so effective and powerful that people stopped working and they remained idle in their homes. British government was rattled, and Mr. Gandhi was sent behind bars. Gandhi called to boycott foreign made clothes and made an appeal to burn imported foreign clothes. Gandhi was an ardent supporter of indigenous brands, and he appealed people to use home-grown Khadi clothes instead of imported clothes of Britain (Borman).
Gandhi had a wonderful mass- appeal among Indians. The whole nation was behind him, and people were ready to do anything on his command. Gandhi never tried to take undue benefits of his appeal and always believed in non-violence. He did not hesitate from taking bold steps when he perceived that something is against his idea of non-violence. Gandhi recalled quit India movement in the year 1942 when he heard that some British officials were killed by mutants and the movement took a violent turn (Gandhi).
People even criticised Gandhi for his step, but Gandhi was adamant on his idea of non-violence. He believed that violence of any kind is intolerable in a civilized society. Gandhi is portrayed somewhat responsible for the hangings of Bhagat Singh and his companions. People believe that Gandhi did not use his influence on British government to stop the capital punishment of Bhagat Singh and his associates. Gandhi is criticised at many occasions, but he never compromised with his principles.
Attenborough has portrayed the life of Gandhi in very impressive manner. There are various scenes that say a lot about the ongoing oppression in India by British government. Portrayal of Amritsar massacre wherein hundreds of Indians were shot by British general Dyer, is one disturbing scene that describes how British used to treat Indians. This incident infuriated every Indian, but Gandhi continued believing in non-violence.
This movie is very educative and important for those who are interested in ideology, history and India. Students can learn a lot about Indian freedom struggle and British rule in India. Attenborough succeeds in delivering a nice movie that educates and entertains audiences. It presents the life of Gandhi who was a living legend, and when the whole world faces rampant violence, his relevance is even more in the modern society. If people start believing in the ideas of non-violence and quit the path of violence, the world will become an ideal place.
After observing the movie and all related aspects it is good to conclude that Gandhi was not an ordinary man and the movie “Gandhi” corroborates this fact. The movie portrays the life of mahatma Gandhi in very communicative manner and educates about his ideology and non-violence. Gandhi was a firm believer of non-violence, and he never quit his pathway of non-violence. He kept believing that non-violence can solve every problem and violence complicates things. Today his ideas are even more relevant when the whole world faces dangers of terrorism and other violent activities.
Works Cited
Borman, William. Gandhi and Non-Violence. New York: SUNY Press, 1986.
Gandhi. Dir. Richard Attenborough. Perf. Ben Kingsley. 1982.
Gandhi, M. K. Non-Violent Resistance. USA: Dover Publications, 2001.
Gandhi, M., & Merton, T. Gandhi on Non-Violence. USA: New Directions Publishing, 2007.
