By:
Taran
Adarsh,
IndiaFM
Saturday,
August
04,
2007
“The
greatest
regret
of
my
life…
Two
people
I
could
never
convince
--
My
Muslim
friend
Mohammed
Ali
Jinnah
and
My
own
son
Harilal
Gandhi.”
Making
a
film
based
on
true
events
is
difficult.
Not
only
does
it
entail
lots
and
lots
of
research,
but
to
recreate
the
bygone
era
and
get
the
right
set
of
actors
to
enact
the
characters
is
another
challenge.
It's
all
the
more
tough
if
the
film
is
based
on
Mahatma
Gandhi.
And
a
far
bigger
challenge
is
to
present
the
relationship
shared
by
the
Mahatma
and
his
son
Harilal.
Everyone
knows
about
Mahatma
Gandhi,
the
Father
of
the
Nation,
but
not
much
is
known
about
him
as
a
father
to
his
children.
Gandhi
My
Father
tells
the
story
of
Harilal
Gandhi
and
the
relationship
he
shared
with
his
parents,
more
particularly
with
his
father,
the
great
Mahatma.
Gandhi
My
Father
leaves
an
indelible
impression
on
the
viewer.
Since
the
story
of
Harilal
is
not
known
to
many,
you
absorb
every
incident
like
a
sponge
absorbs
water.
It's
an
enlightening
experience…
and
also
a
moving
one.
Your
heart
goes
out
to
Harilal
and
his
plight,
more
so
towards
the
sunset
of
his
life,
makes
you
moist-eyed.
Gandhi
My
Father
tells
a
story
not
told
before
and
director
Feroz
Abbas
Khan
tells
it
very
well.
Put
your
hands
together
for
one
of
the
finest
films
to
come
out
of
India.
This
one
deserves
to
be
the
official
entry
for
the
Oscars.
To
sum
up,
Gandhi
My
Father
is
a
must
watch
for
every
Indian.
Strongly
recommended!
Somewhere
in
the
shadows
of
a
great
man
[Mahatma
Gandhi]
lived
his
son
[Harilal
Gandhi],
roaming
the
streets
of
India
like
a
beggar.
Converting
to
Islam
as
a
rebellion,
reconverting
to
Hinduism
as
a
penance
and
finally
drinking
himself
to
death.
Mahatma
Gandhi
could
transform
the
soul
of
a
nation,
but
could
not
save
the
soul
of
his
own
son.
The
film
unfolds
a
personal
tragedy
about
a
principled
father
and
an
unfortunate
son.
For
most
viewers,
the
story
of
Gandhi
My
Father
is
an
eye-opener,
since
it
tells
a
rarely
heard
story
and
tells
it
exceedingly
well.
The
storyteller
recreates
the
era
with
flourish,
not
once
deviating
from
the
core
issue.
The
story
is
not
about
the
freedom
movement
and
the
pivotal
role
played
by
the
Mahatma,
but
it
highlights
the
sensitive
relationship
between
a
father
and
son.
As
a
cinematic
experience,
Gandhi
My
Father
unfolds
in
the
most
simplistic,
but
compelling
manner.
Since
the
director
is
talking
history,
he
ought
to
do
the
balancing
act
well.
He
reproduces
facts
without
resorting
to
cinematic
liberties
and
at
the
same
time,
simplifies
everything
so
that
the
viewer
can
decipher
it
well.
A
landmark
film
in
all
respects,
highlighting
a
scene
or
two
would
be
doing
gross
injustice
to
the
film.
For,
every
sequence
has
the
power
to
keep
you
hooked
and
most
importantly,
carries
the
stamp
of
a
genius.
The
director
has
ensured
that
every
department
works
in
tandem.
David
Macdonald's
cinematography
is
superb.
Special
mention
must
be
made
of
the
B&W,
grainy
frames
that
compliment
the
actual
footage.
The
production
design
[Nitin
Chandrakant
Desai]
is
perfect.
The
ambience
transports
you
to
the
early
20th
century.
Make-up
[Penny
Smith]
is
of
international
standard.
The
transformation
of
the
characters
as
they
age
looks
so
real.
Costumes
[Sujata
Sharma]
suit
the
theme
well.
Background
score
[Piyush
Kanojia]
is
appropriate.
Akshaye
Khanna
is
extraordinary
in
the
role
of
Harilal
Gandhi.
He
portrays
the
varied
emotions
--
angst,
sorrow,
anger,
frustration,
love
--
with
great
understanding
and
maturity
and
comes
up
with
his
career-best
work.
Darshan
Jariwala
as
Mahatma
Gandhi
is
another
great
performance
you
carry
home.
Although
a
number
of
seasoned
actors
have
portrayed
the
part
of
Mahatma
Gandhi
on
the
big
screen,
Darshan's
performance
easily
ranks
amongst
the
best.
Shefali
Shah
is
awesome.
Note
the
sequence
when
Harilal
converts
to
Islam
and
Kasturba
Gandhi
visits
him.
Or
the
final
moments
before
she
bids
goodbye
to
the
world.
The
actress
deserves
the
highest
marks.
Why
don't
we
see
more
of
Shefali
on
the
big
screen?
Bhumika
Chawla
is
excellent.
Her
portions,
with
Harilal
mainly,
are
well
enacted.
On
the
whole,
Gandhi
My
Father
is
a
treat
for
movie
lovers.
As
mentioned
at
the
very
outset,
it's
a
must-see
for
all
Indians.
At
the
box-office,
it
holds
tremendous
appeal
for
the
multiplexes,
where
it
should
grow
with
a
strong
word
of
mouth.
Strongly
recommended!