Gandhi, My Father (2007)

Actors: Anil Kapoor (producer), Rajendranath Zutshi (actor), A. Sreekar Prasad (editor), Akshaye Khanna (actor), Bhoomika Chawla (actress), Darshan Jariwala (actor), Akhil Mishra (actor), Mahesh Thakur (actor), Mithilesh Chaturvedi (actor), Sanjay Swaraj (actor), Shefali Shetty (actress), Mona Ambegaonkar (actress), Kanwalinder Singh (producer), Natalie Hughes (actress), Bomie E. Dotiwala (actor),

Plot: Mohandas was born in the Gujarati speaking family, had several brothers who jointly owned property in Rajkot. At the age of 13 Mohandas married Kasturba. On attaining maturity he re-located to England, became a Barrister, returned home, and together with Kasturba re-located to South Africa. They returned to India for a few years and this is where they became parents of four sons: Harilal, Manilal, Ramdas and Devdas. Subsequently, the family returned to South Africa, leaving Harilal alone. As Harilal did not do well in his studies he got married to Gulab without his parents' blessings. Mohandas then invited Harilal to South Africa and on his Secretary's request also invited Gulab, who had recently given birth to a daughter, Rami. Harilal wanted to be a Barrister like his father but found his movements restricted as his father wanted him to actively participate against the Satanist and Racist British regime, leading to Harilal being arrested and imprisoned. Harilal's hopes of becoming a Barrister were dashed when Mohandas sent his nephew, Chaganlal, instead, and when Chaganlal proved a failure, sent Sorabjee to England in his place. Harilal then changed his name to Pranlal Mehta in a vain attempt to return to India. A frustrated Gulab, now a mother of 4, did return to India with her children. After actively protesting draconian British Laws, especially the Christian Act that only recognized marriages performed by a Christian Priest, by General Ian Smutts, Mohandas was imprisoned, and upon being released returned to India. He hoped that Harilal would follow in his footsteps, but Harilal re-located to Calcutta, found a job as a Cashier, embezzled and borrowed money to buy imported cloths, in vast contrast to Mohandas' campaign to burn foreign clothing, got himself in trouble and debt, prompting Gulab to return to leave him. Harilal did return to Gujarat after he heard of his son, Shanti's and Gulab's passing. He did get involved in the freedom struggle temporarily, but was lured by some businessmen, who used his and his dad's name to get people to invest, and then disappeared, forcing Mohandas to publicly disown his son, who was then arrested and imprisoned. Unstable, unemployed, unable to keep up with his father's lofty standards, Harilal considered becoming a Christian, but then with Zakaria's help became an Islamic and changed his name to Abdullah, prompting Kasturba to pay him a visit and talk him to becoming a Hindu again. Then when Mohandas announced the beginning of 'Do or Die' campaign in Bombay during 1942, he was placed under house arrest in the Agha Khan Palace with Hindus calling him a traitor and Muslims praying for his death. This is where a distraught, disheveled and bearded Harilal will meet his parents. Will his parents accept him as he is and welcome him back?

Gandhi (1982)

Actors: John Gielgud (actor), Richard Griffiths (actor), Edward Fox (actor), Ernest Clark (actor), Anang Desai (actor), David Gant (actor), Daniel Day-Lewis (actor), Tom Alter (actor), John Boxer (actor), Mohan Agashe (actor), Jalal Agha (actor), Ian Bannen (actor), Sudhir Dalvi (actor), Nigel Hawthorne (actor), Günther Maria Halmer (actor),

Plot: In 1893, Gandhi is thrown off a South African train for being an Indian and traveling in a first class compartment. Gandhi realizes that the laws are biased against Indians and decides to start a non-violent protest campaign for the rights of all Indians in South Africa. After numerous arrests and the unwanted attention of the world, the government finally relents by recognizing rights for Indians, though not for the native blacks of South Africa. After this victory, Gandhi is invited back to India, where he is now considered something of a national hero. He is urged to take up the fight for India's independence from the British Empire. Gandhi agrees, and mounts a non-violent non-cooperation campaign of unprecedented scale, coordinating millions of Indians nationwide. There are some setbacks, such as violence against the protesters and Gandhi's occasional imprisonment. Nevertheless, the campaign generates great attention, and Britain faces intense public pressure. Too weak from World War II to continue enforcing its will in India, Britain finally grants India's independence. Indians celebrate this victory, but their troubles are far from over. Religious tensions between Hindus and Muslims erupt into nation-wide violence. Gandhi declares a hunger strike, saying he will not eat until the fighting stops. The fighting does stop eventually, but the country is divided. It is decided that the northwest area of India, and eastern part of India (current day Bangladesh), both places where Muslims are in the majority, will become a new country called Pakistan (West and East Pakistan respectively). It is hoped that by encouraging the Muslims to live in a separate country, violence will abate. Gandhi is opposed to the idea, and is even willing to allow Muhammad Ali Jinnah to become the first prime minister of India, but the Partition of India is carried out nevertheless. Gandhi spends his last days trying to bring about peace between both nations. He thereby angers many dissidents on both sides, one of whom finally gets close enough to assassinate him.

Quotes: