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Gandhi (1982) is a multi-award-winning biopic film about the life of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (better known in the Western world as Mahatma Gandhi), who was leader of the nonviolent resistance movement against British colonial rule in India during the first half of the 20th century. The film was directed by Richard Attenborough and stars Ben Kingsley as Gandhi, a role for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor. It was an international co-production between production companies in India and the UK. The film premiered in New Delhi on November 30, 1982.
Synopsis
The film begins with Gandhi's assassination and funeral on January 30, 1948. After an evening prayer, an elderly Gandhi is helped out for his evening walk to meet a large number of greeters and admirers. One of these visitors shoots him point blank. Gandhi says "Hey Ram"(O God) and then falls dead. Then film cuts to a huge procession at his massive funeral, which is attended by dignitaries from around the world. The early life of Gandhi is neither seen nor mentioned. Instead, the story flashes back to a life-changing event: in 1893, Gandhi is thrown off a South African train for being a "kaffir" and traveling in a first class compartment (which he paid for). 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 Great Britain. 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.
The fighting does stop eventually, but the country is divided. It is decided that the northwest area of India (a place where Muslims are in the majority) will become a new country called Pakistan. It is hoped that by encouraging the Muslims to live in a separate country, violence will abate. Gandhi is opposed to the idea, but it is carried out nevertheless. Gandhi spends his last days trying to bring about peace between both nations, however these actions anger many dissidents on both sides, one of whom finally gets close enough to assassinate him. ProductionShooting began on November 26, 1980 and ended on May 10, 1981. Coincidentally, the funeral sequence was filmed on January 31, 1981, 33 years to the day after Gandhi's real funeral. Approximately 300,000 extras were used in that scene, the most for any film according to Guinness World Records[1]. ControversyDuring pre-production, there was much speculation as to who would play the role of Gandhi. The choice was Ben Kingsley who is partly of Indian heritage (his birth name is Krishna Bhanji). Cast
RatingsThe film is rated PG in the UK for violence, language, and for thematic elements. AwardsGandhi received eight Academy Awards:
It also received nominations for:
The film also won best picture awards from BAFTA and the National Board of Review as well as six Golden Globes including Best Foreign Film. PrecursorsRichard Attenborough's film came after two previous attempts at filming the life of Gandhi. In 1952, Gabriel Pascal secured an agreement with the Prime Minister of India (Pandit Nehru) to produce a film of Gandhi's life. However, Pascal died in 1954 before preparations were completed.[citation needed] Later David Lean and Sam Spiegel planned to make a film about Gandhi after completing Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), reportedly with Alec Guinness as Gandhi. Ultimately, the project was abandoned in favor of Lawrence of Arabia (1962).[citation needed] Popular culture references
See also
References
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