Plot: The tenuous love hate relationship between Mahatma Gandhi and his eldest son Harilal who dies unmourned and unknown in a Mumbai hospital. Verdict: a heart rending subject backed with some good performances that could have done with a better handling. Box Office prospects: Could pick up through word of mouth publicity and find patronage from elite metro audience.

For over a quarter of a century Anil Kapoor has, as an actor, dared to be different. From Tehzaab to Eeshwar and Mr. India, from Beta to Lamhe, Musafir and No Entry he’s moved beyond the tried and the tested to carve out a special niche for himself. It is no surprise then that as a producer too he has strayed away from the safe and the standard to bring us snapshots from history and a little known chapter from Bapu and Ba’s life.

The intentions are well meaning and Akshaye Khanna and Darshan Zariwala as Harilal and his Bapu have the conviction and the talent to carry you along with them on their journey through life despite the sometimes plodding pace. Shefali as Kasturba is brilliant, her sparkling glances, eloquent silences and drooping shoulders effectively conveying the hopelessness and helplessness of a parent whose child has gone astray. As Harilal’s young wife Gulab, Bhumika Chawla’s dewy smiles mask an arching vulnerability that pulls at your heart strings. No quibbles about the producer who has spent generously on A-grade production values (Nitin Desai’s production design and David Macdonald’s cinematography are commendable). Or the performers.

If Gandhi My Father fails to leave one with a ravaged face, a broken heart and a spectre of fear for the unknown future of your child, it’s the fault of the director. Feroz Abbas Khan treats the movie as another play. Consequently, despite morphed documentary footage, the scenes don’t seamlessly blend into a composite whole. Rather, they unfold as they would in a play. There are times when you could also see the actors walking in and out of the wings and resorting to the theatrical gestures.

There is no attempt to build characters through background detailing. Children are bought into the world and then conveniently left out of the screenplay. We never learn what became of Gandhi’s other children or Harilal’s surviving off springs. We are left wondering what happened to end Gulab’s life so prematurely. There are so many unanswered questions that wouldn’t have cropped up had the film been better structured or more detailed.

Also, there seems to be a conscience effort not to court controversy. At no point are you weaned away from Mahatma Karamchand Gandhi’s image as the Father of the Nation. Even when Bapu is obdurate, preachy, idealistic and moralistic you are not pushed into condemning his failure as a father nor do you lose sympathy for his weak willed, easily led astray son.

A film is more than just a docu-drama. Or a bio-pics. Or a play. If only Khan had understood that.

Producers: Anil Kapoor Films Company and Eros International
Writer – Director: Feroz Abbas Khan
Stars: Akshaye Khanna, Sarshan Zariwala, Shefali Shah, Bhumika Chawla