Mumbai: Many films have been made on Gandhi, some with direct presence like Ben Kingsley's 'Gandhi' and some with fantasy like 'Lage Raho Munnabhai'. From 'Jagriti' to 'Swatantryaveer Savarkar', Mahatma Gandhi has been discussed in many places, but unlike literature, cinema has very carefully avoided tarnishing his image. What are the reasons behind this, Vinod Anupam is discussing before Gandhi Jayanti...

Mahatma Gandhi is not a person but a symbol of goodness, dedication, struggle and most importantly, of the country. For generations, we have only accepted Mahatma Gandhi but never discussed him. Obviously, despite being a sharp critic of cinema, Indian cinema never seemed ready to discuss Mahatma Gandhi.

Cinema knows that Mahatma Gandhi is safe in the subconscious of Indian society, it stands with his ideas whether it wants it or not. Is it surprising that Mahatma Gandhi could be seen in Indian cinema in a few films, but his ideas remained the focus of cinema.

A glimpse of Mahatma Gandhi was seen in the film Water 

In Deepa Mehta's film 'Water', Mahatma Gandhi is referred to many times, and he is also seen in the final scenes. The last hope for a safe life for a little girl is seen in Mahatma Gandhi, but this Gandhi is completely different. He has come to Banaras by train, he is addressing the people and the hero is relieved after leaving the little girl at his feet.

This is the faith in Mahatma Gandhi, which cinema has appreciated in every form. However, it is also true that Hindi cinema could never muster the courage to portray Mahatma Gandhi on screen in his entirety. But whenever Mahatma Gandhi was shown, cinema kept his image intact.

Many Hindi films have been made on Bhagat Singh. Mahatma Gandhi is seen in all the films in different periods. But no matter how much discussion is seen on the ideological differences between Bhagat Singh and Mahatma Gandhi in Indian history, every effort has been made to avoid it in cinema.

Whether it is Ketan Mehta's 1993 biopic 'Sardar' on Sardar Patel or Shyam Benegal's film 'Bose-The Forgotten Hero' or last year's 'Swatantryaveer Savarkar', a lot of effort was seen to avoid the ideological differences between the two contemporary leaders. In fact, when we hear in the cinema that 'De di hamein aazadi bina khadg bina dhaal, Sabarmati ke sant tune kar diya kamal...', we not only hear it, but also believe it. Hindi cinema never takes the risk of challenging the belief of the audience.

Gandhi settled in the soil of villages

In fact, cinema has accepted Mahatma Gandhi more as an idea than a person. A revolutionary film like 'Chandidas' would not have been made in India at that time if Devaki Bose had not left her studies and participated in Mahatma Gandhi's non-cooperation movement. Even today, most Indian films are being made with the notion that villages are better, village people are better. The only message from 'Upkaar' to 'Laapata Ladies' is to create attachment and respect towards the villages. The credit for this concept of Indian cinema goes to Mahatma Gandhi.

After independence, when Pt. Nehru was relying on factories for the development of the country and calling them modern pilgrimage sites, B.R. Chopra was making films like 'Naya Daur', which openly stands against the machine. From 'Kisan Kanya' to Ashutosh Gowariker's 'Swades', Mahatma Gandhi's influence can be clearly seen.

It is not a coincidence that Ashutosh named the main character of 'Swades' as Mohan, who comes to the village from America and becomes a part of the village by participating in its development. Something similar was also shown in the Maithili film 'Mithila Makhan'. Where the hero living a happy life abroad comes to the country to celebrate Chhath.

Here he learns about his grandfather's ancestral business of Makhana, on the other hand he sees young people leaving the village in search of employment, so he tries to restart his grandfather's Makhana business. There are obstacles, but with the help of the villagers he is successful in starting the Makhana business once again in the village.

Similarly, in Varun Dhawan starrer 'Sui Dhaaga', Mahatma Gandhi is seen in full voice when it is said that traditional small scale industries should be given preference on the basis of social cooperation instead of big industries. From 'Mahatma Vidur' made in 1918 to 'Swades' and then 'Toilet: Ek Prem Katha', Mahatma Gandhi's presence can be seen somewhere or the other.

The hero's last rites

Despite this, it is also true that Mahatma Gandhi never liked cinema. Despite meeting Charlie Chaplin and watching Vijay Bhatt's film 'Ramrajya', his ideology could not change and he avoided cinema throughout his life. It is surprising that even then a whole section in the museum being built on Indian cinema in Mumbai is dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi.

It was cinema's dedication to Mahatma Gandhi that the film industry, which Mahatma Gandhi almost hated, always upheld his ideas of secularism. The film industry not only made films on religious harmony, but also upheld this ideal in daily actions and thoughts. It is not surprising that just before independence, when Mahatma Gandhi's ideas were becoming ineffective in Indian society, Gandhism was alive only in films.

Sohrab Modi's 'Pukar' was made in the era of communal intolerance. 'Chittorgarh' was made in the same era, in which a Muslim emperor, ignoring the danger looming over his capital, marches with his army to protect his adopted Rajput sister. The basis of 'Dhool Ka Phool', which brings the message of neither becoming a Hindu nor becoming a Muslim, can be seen in Gandhi only. In 'Garm Hawa' made in 1974, the hero's final trust is seen in Gandhi and also in 'Road to Sangam' made in 2010.

In fact, cinema played an important role in bringing Mahatma Gandhi out of lifeless curriculum and making him popular across the nation. Gandhi's influence can be seen not only in 'Gandhi', 'Sardar', 'Making of Mahatma' but also in 'Maine Gandhi ko nahi mara', 'Hey Ram', 'Gandhi my father', 'A Wednesday', 'Shikhar', 'Road to Sangam'. Lohia had once said that there are only two things that unite this country - Gandhi and cinema. No wonder that whenever both came together, a miracle happened on screen, be it 'Gandhi' or 'Lage Raho Munnabhai'!