Charity premiere in Antwerp

Gandhi My Father has a special charity premiere in Belgium (Antwerp). Anil Kapoor has many reasons to celebrate this year; be it Gandhi My Father’s success or his daughter’s launch in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Saawariya. However, a special charity premiere organized by his close friend, Dilip Mehta certainly has given him a new high.The premiere will be followed by the auction of a painting, of Gandhi and Harilal by Satish Gurja which is said to be worth Rs. 20 lakhs. Along with Anil Kapoor, the cast and crew of the Gandhi My Father which includes Akshaye Khanna, Darshan Jariwala and director Feroz Abbas Khan will also be present for the occasion. A part of the proceeds generated from the auction will be donated to Plan India, a child-centered humanitarian development organization, for which Anil Kapoor is the brand ambassador, and the rest will go to The Antwerp Giants in Belgium.

(indiafm.com)

"I don't carry my roles home"

CRITICS ARE going ga ga over Akshaye Khanna's performance in Gandhi My Father as Mahatma Gandhi's little known son Harilal and he too is quite pleased with the outcome. But the actor denies taking help from his personal experiences to essay the role.

"I've never used my personal life to play any character. I read about actors digging into their experiences. I don't carry my roles home. Yes, scenes in 'Gandhi' have eaten into my soul," Akshaye said in an interview.

"Before I read the script, I didn't even know he existed! Of course, I was aware Gandhiji had a family. But I knew nothing about Harilal. So it was relatively easy for me to play him. I didn't have to copy someone people knew about."

Excerpts:

Gandhi My Father was made under an oath of secrecy among the cast and crew?
It wasn't secrecy, just a low profile until we were ready to release. A film like Gandhi My Father isn't easy to make. And we haven't made a small art film —it is a big commercial film. It's important to plan a film's promotion properly, specially when it comes to Mahatma Gandhi, who's so much part of our lives even today. Now when we're finally allowed to talk, we feel we've been let out of jail.

You play Gandhi's son Harilal. Not much is known about him.

Before I read the script, I didn't even know he existed! Of course, I was aware Gandhiji had a family. But I knew nothing about Harilal. A very minuscule number of people know about him. So it was relatively easy for me to play Harilal. I didn't have to copy someone people knew about.

So how did you get a grip on the character?

I asked my director Feroz Abbas Khan how to play him. He gave me Harilal's biography by Chandulal Dalal. For me the research was in capturing the spirit of the man. Then I read letters that Harilal had exchanged with Bapu and Kasturba. That was pretty much it.

Do you see Gandhi's son as a dark character?

Not dark at all. I see him as the most courageous character I've ever played. For any person, even the son, to stand up to Gandhi required a tremendous amount of courage. The entire British Empire couldn't stand up to Gandhiji. Harilal could!

Did you delve into your own relationship with your father to play Gandhiji's son?

Let me say one thing. I've never used my personal life experience to play any character. I read about actors digging into their experiences. To date I've never done that. I look for the emotions in the moment, and then I let it go. I don't carry my roles home. Yes, scenes in Gandhi have eaten into my soul.

Did you get a lot of support from your co-stars?

Darshan Jariwala, Shefali Shah and Bhoomika Chawla were extremely relevant to my performance. Let me tell you Darshan had a thankless task. It's terrifying to play Gandhi, especially after Ben Kingsley. I wouldn't have been able to do it. In spite of the enormity of his burden, Darshan has carried Gandhi off with ease.

And Shefali as Kasturba?

Please do not take my words lightly when I say hers is the single greatest performance given by an Indian actress. I can write this in blood.

Have you told her this?

Yes I have. She's one of those rare actors with an inborn talent. Highly underused and underrated. She just needed to be given the right opportunity. I can't put words to her performance.

How do you rate your own performance?

Yes, this is one film where I'm immensely satisfied with my work. I feel happy about my work. Not that I've ever left any stone unturned. But there's a quality to the film that benefited my performance. Every actor has excelled.

Feroz Abbas Khan as a director?

He's such an intellectual. In one sentence I'd say he's aesthetically intellectual. Anil Kapoor said he had yet to meet a director as deep as Feroz. He has immense integrity and honesty. This is his screen debut but it looks like he has done 20 films before. Coming from theatre and being an actor himself, Feroz has a tremendous sense of performance. It'd be extremely interesting to see where Feroz goes after Gandhi.

You did two comedies Shaadi Se Pehle and Salaam-e-Ishq. Now you've done a very dramatic role in Gandhi.

I don't want to suffocate myself by playing the slotting game. I see myself as an actor who does his job.

Were you disappointed when Salaam-e-Ishq and Naqaab didn't work? Hugely. I feel there was a lot of negative attitude towards Salaam-e-Ishq. It was virtually targeted. But I feel Salaam-e-Ishq pushed the envelope. I adored the script and the film and I can work with Nikhil Advani any time of the day.

More plaudits flow

"Watch it for some sublime performances- Akshaye and Shefali....Akshaye Khanna reiterates his claim as a great actor who understands the nuances of the art and may therefore loose out in the race. Very studied and seasoned performance. One hopes to hear of him when the season for awards is around.
He may not be the guy who walks up to the podium, kiss the trophy and dedicate it to Mamma but if this guy can walk up and take it , it would salute a rich moment in the story of our cinema. " -- Andhracafe.com

"Khanna, who's done his fair share of inane Bollywood roles, reveals his too rarely seen acting skills as Harilal.. " Bloomberg.com

"I usually don't care for weak, loser-type characters in stories. But, Akshaye Khanna makes you feel for the nervous, diffident, Harilal who has a huge image to live up to. You can sense the pressure the son faces - wanting to impress his father but fortunately or unfortunately discovering that he has a mind and ambitions of his own. " desicritics.org

"Akshaye Khanna as Harilal skillfully embodies this forsakenness, desperation and hurt and he enacts his role with the conviction, madness and grief that afflicts this failed and tortured son of a charismatic leader." Tehelka

"Akshaye Khanna essays the role of Harilal Gandhi with finesse. " Screen

What the critics had to say about Akshaye

"Of all the actors in the film it's only Akshaye Khanna who really shines in the role of the luck-deprived Harilal Gandhi. It's a wonderful performance, and it's not easy since the role covers virtually the entire lifespan of the character.

"But Akshaye brings a rare concoction of innocence and despondency to that part and succeeds in making Harilal a pitiable figure. Just watch him in that scene in which he discovers his wife's dead, and you'll realise how much he conveys through body language alone. " Rajeev Masand, CNN-IBN

"Akshaye Khanna is absolutely inspired and gives the complex part all his conviction and intelligence. His breakdown scenes are especially heart-wrenching. Hats off to her, Khanna and a project that cares to state that right can be wrong. " Khaled Mohammed, Hindustan Times

"A real shocker (in a positive way) is Khanna, who has you stand up and take notice. He brings put the variations in his characters extremely well."--Sanjay Ram, Business of Cinema

"Akshaye Khanna might be doing a gamut of commercial movies but there is no doubt about the fact that he is one of the finest actors in Bollywood today who can carry off all kinds of roles. He is extremely natural and expressive as Harilal and this can easily qualify as Khanna’s best performance till date." -- Sneha Hazarika, Santabanta.com

"Akshaye Khanna plays the troubled Harilal and every frame featuring him promises an absolute tour de force performance from the man forced to do inane comedies like ‘Shaadi Se Pehle’ and ‘Aap Ki Khatir’.He seems in super form as a harrowed Harilal going from pillar to post, bottle to brothel, to find his won identity." -- Debataru De, Indiatarget.com

"The handsome Harilal (played by a Bollywood matinee idol) " Philip French, The Observer

"Akshaye lives the part to the hilt, he manages to show abiding love towards his mother with a mix of respect and rejection for his father. " Shubra Gupta, Indian Express

"The person to whom your heart goes out is Akshaye Khanna. As clichéd as it may sound but from frame one, what you see is Harilal and not the Akshaye Khanna you know. Those who claim Akshaye to have stuck with his HUMRAAZ, 36 CHINA TOWN and NAQAAB kind of roles need to have a dekko at his impeccable act here. His entire body language and mannerisms deserve biggest applause. Watch him being in awe of his father in the initial scenes or his drifting apart inch-by-inch with every interaction of theirs.

The cake is taken by three sequences where it is impossible not to shed a tear - when he cries on realizing his wife's death, when he meets his mother [Shefali Chhaya] at the 'ashram' after coming drunk and when he brings an orange for his mother at the railway station. Flawless. These three scenes by themselves ensure that Akshaye walks away with the highest awards this year." Joginder tuteja, Indiaglitz.com

"Akshaye Khanna as Harilal is outstanding and his performance will tear you up, especially the part where he goes to meet his parents at a railway station. He gives his mother an orange but refuses to share it with his father, stating that Mahatma Gandhi is the Mahatma because of her. "--Syed Firdaus Ashraf, rediff.com

"With 'Gandhi My Father' Akshaye Khanna makes the transition from star to actor. He delivers a finely tuned performance as the troubled son Harilal Gandhi of the revered leader Mahatma Gandhi " Indu Mirani, Daily News & Analysis

"Akshaye Khanna is first rate as Harilal Gandhi. The pain and the machinations of being unable to match up to his illustrious father are so natural; probably his best performance till date.

He is amazing in a few sequences:

His confrontation with his mother after embracing Islam.
The drunken scene where he is rounded up by the police.
The breaking-down scene in his mohalla.
His final collapse after the demise of his wife, Gulab.
The scene after the death of Gandhi, where he merely reacts to Dhaba owner. Anguish mixed with anger. Amazing!

These sequences stay with the viewer." Amit Agrawal, Merinews

"It would be a shame and injustice if Akshaye doesn’t win an award for his performance in the film. The actor sinks his teeth deep into his character. In the initial parts he brings innocence and rawness into Harilal. But slowly this innocence develops into open rebellion against his father." N.K. Doshi, apunkachoice.com

"Akshaye Khanna must be one of very few actors in the industry to have gotten a chance to essay a character, hitherto unknown, in a film sensitively handled, considering the subject and emotions involved. After all, such films are not made everyday. Amitabh Bachchan is quoted to have told his son, Abhishek, that it took him 25 years to get a film like BLACK. For an artiste nothing is more creatively satisfying than a good role, felt passionately by the makers, essayed with aplomb. More of Akshaye later.....

Back to Akshaye Khanna, who plays Harilal Gandhi. In one word, this talented actor who everyone knew was performing much below his potential is outstanding. In trying to describe his brilliance, I’m afraid I may fall short of his genius. So let’s leave it at this, that he has portrayed Harilal with sincere innocence that leaves you wondering whether to feel sorry for him or hate him." Martin D'Souza, glamsham.com

"The acting is uniformly good, especially Akshaye Khanna as the inconstant Harilal - more his father's son than he would ever let on. After all, like his father, he is willing to live and die by his convictions, but not let go." Naomi Dutta, TimesNow tv

"This scene, at a railway station, is Akshaye Khanna’s finest moment; he registers beautifully the childish obstinacy that makes people believe that if they ignore a problem it will somehow go away." newindpress.com

"In the first place, it showcases Akshaye Khanna's acting skills as never before. As Harilal, the loser son who traverses the long road from being touted as Chhota Gandhi to a cheat, alcoholic and a waster for whom nationalism, Gandhism were dispensable 'isms', Akshaye almost makes you weep. Completely dwarfed by his father's larger-than-life personae, the boy had no choice but to rebel against the Gandhi label which became the proverbial crown of thorns on his head. And amidst all the confrontations and misgivings with his venerable father, the only thing that remained constant was his love for his mother, Kasturba. " Nikhat Kazhmi, Times of India

"So Gandhi My Father has ambition and craft. It also has a towering performance by Akshay Khanna whose trembling lips encapsulate a lifetime of frustration and sadness. " Anupama Chopra, NDTV

Reviewing Akshaye Khanna in Gandhi-My Father

I have seen Gandhi-- My Father. It worked better in the promos. As almost every reviewer has noticed, the films loses its focus along the second half, focusing more on the Gandhi's role in history than on its father and son theme. It also become more and more theatrical, like Gandhi's speech in riot torn Calcutta. I was worried when Sreekar Prasad was chosen as the editor and he ruins the movie. Dramatic moments are cut short and boring montages given more prominence. Great moments breeze past without a proper context. Though a decent and well-made movie, it nowhere realises the emotional potential of its theme.

Now to Akshaye. Before Dil Chahta Hai happened, Akshaye's movie were confined to a single theme, that of a son who has major issues with his father. Right from his first movie, Himalay Putra, the trend continued on. Border, Aa Ab Laut Chalen, Kismat... the trend continued post DCH too in movies like Hungama and Deewaar. I think most Bollywood scriptwriters write for a star based on a set screen image and since Border was Akshaye's first hit, that character became his staple. Gandhi, My Father though not the same trap, is still the continuation of the same role. I imagined the movie would, in a sense, become the final cap of all those earlier roles and Akshaye would finally move on from this chracter after a triumph. Sadly, it doesn't.

All those movies also shared annoying feature. They all start well but lose their thread somewhere along the way and Akshaye's chracter becomes increasingly sidelined. Sadly, Gandhi,My Father continues this tradition. It does allow him a few good scenes initially but throughout the second half he is increasingly sidelined for the sake of Gandhi, so much so that his scenes gets cyclical, repetitive and take away a lot from his performance. Like all his movies before, they refuse the chance for him to build on his performance and get a credible climax. Like all his movies before, it refuses to plead his case convincingly and thus make him unable to connect with his audiences.

That said, the movie also shows enormous strides he has made as an actor. First of all, nobody who has seen this movie can fail to notice how controlled his stock mannerisms have become. I have always held that he overdoes his smling, twitching, eyebrow-raising bits only when the scene has blanks in it and he can't fill those blanks and hence goes overboard. Here, you are instantly notice how much he does with how little.

He relies more on his voice and eyes than physical gesticulations. Just notice the incommunicable emotion in his eyes in the scene where the news of Gandhi's assassination plays behind his back. He looks beautiful even in the wretchedness of a beggar sipping tea. Raj Zutshi's outburst is jarringly theatrical and this scene is too fleeting to notice but try and focus on his eyes. Is it loss? Is it victory? Relief? I couldn't tell what it was but it felt exactly right.

He has acquired pitch perfect dialogue delivery. One of the little-mentioned highlights of the movie is in a scene where Gandhi praises Harilal on a nice book he had been reading. Harilal replies by saying that he has always tried to educate himself, no matter how hard the circumstances. That's a subtle, heartbreaking rebuke and he delivers it perfectly.

His histrionics too have become finetuned. Example, the scene where he cries at his wife's death. Or the ramleela scene. Or the train station scene. He made me weep.

Gandhi-My Father affords him some great moments without ever giving him the opportunity to take the movie and make it his. It's as if he was allowed to paint a few beautiful strokes but not allowed to finish the canvas.

Gandhi-My Father is not a historic triumph for Akshaye but it does show that Akshaye has perfected his instruments and mastered the medium. From now on, it is a matter of finding a suitable platform to channel his overabundant talent.

His fans have always been sure of his talent and always irritated when high n mighty critics dismissed him off. Now, they can finally take satisfaction that no one brush off Akshaye anymore. After a decade of false starts, he has arrived as an actor. And how!

Early Reviews

Reviews have started coming in mostly from international press. They are not too high on the movie but they are uniformly good about Akshaye's performance. Good thing is it is getting noticed in internatioanl arena and so is Akshaye. It should do better in India where movie of such quality is a rare event.

Geoffrey Macnab in Screen Daily:

"To his nation, he was a father. To his son, he was a father...he never had." Thus reads the tag line for Feroze Abbas Khan's Gandhi My Father, a film which never seems entirely sure whether it wants to be a sweeping historical epic along the lines of Richard Attenborough's celebrated biopic of the Indian leader or a closely focused family drama. Rather it tells the sad, and very chequered, story of Mahatma Gandhi's son, Harilal who, overshadowed by his father, Harilal died as a beggar and alcoholic.

Well-written and exhaustively researched, it will tap into the huge curiosity that still surrounds Gandhi, a near mythical figure in modern Indian history. Some cinemagoers will be very curious about an aspect of Gandhi's life that (at least in the West) remains relatively little explored. Khan has also elicited two excellent performances from Darshan Jariwala as Mahatma Gandhi and Akshaye Khanna as his wastrel son.

But the attempts to trace Gandhi's role in modern Indian history inevitably distract from a full exploration of the father-son relationship. There is also sometimes the sense that the film-makers are pulling their punches. Early on, they infer that Gandhi has been a negligent father but they do not want to be too critical of such a venerated figure. Nor - despite Harilal's fall from grace - do they want to lapse too far into the real of melodrama.

The result is a film that often appears to be pulling in opposing directions. Overlong, sometimes repetitive and with only modest production values, Gandhi My Father looks like a tough sell beyond home crowds and sympathetic overseas audiences when it rolls out in the US, UK and India among others on August 3.

Gandhi My Father begins in June 1948, as a near-dead body is found in the driving rain. With matted hair and an unkempt beard, the man looks like a common beggar; in fact it is Harilal, a homeless alcoholic. No-one will believe that he is the son of Mahatma Gandhi, who was assassinated only six months before.

In flashbacks, we follow Gandhi's (Jariwala) involvement in the civil rights struggle in South Africa in the years leading up to the First World War. During this period, Harilal (Khanna) is a dutiful son, idealistic and doggedly loyal to his father but also under-fulfilled. His father is so embroiled in his political campaigning that Harilal has not received a proper education: he yearns to become a lawyer, but Gandhi is either unaware of his aspirations or does not think he is up to it.

Harilal's later problems - and many failed business ventures - are (the film-makers imply) rooted in this early lack of opportunity. The son feels shame and frustration that he is never given the opportunity to crawl from under his father's shadow. Harilal's mother (Shah), who remains devoted to him, tries to cajole her husband into helping Harilal with his career, but Gandhi's focus is elsewhere.

The scenes between father and son are well played. Darshan Jariwala portrays the Indian leader as a genial, cheerful but utterly determined figure. Meanwhile Akshaye Khann conveys the son's naiveté, frustration and his weakness. As he says poignantly to his father at one stage: "You cut my wings. How am I supposed to fly?"

But once the action switches to India, the storytelling becomes less certain. Using archive footage and Zelig-like black-and-white reconstructions, the film-makers chronicle Gandhi's political battles against the British and his non-violence campaigns.
Meanwhile we are shown how Harilal disappoints his father. His business ventures invariably fail and his loyal wife (Chawla) has to hide him from his many creditors. He turns to drink: when he is at a low ebb, he continually uses his father's name to bail himself out of difficulty.
Initially, there is considerable pathos in his fall from grace, Harilal's overwhelming grief at the death of his wife and in the way his mother always tries to stand up for him. There is also a strong Oedipal strain to the storytelling. Harilal wants to defy his father and establish his own identity: when he converts to Islam, it is clear he is doing so not only for material gain but to infuriate his father.

However, just as Harilal taxes the patience of almost everyone who tries to help him, the story of his decline and fall makes increasingly heavy demands on audience patience. It is a grim saga which surely did not demand to be told at quite such length.

The film aspires for a David Lean-like epic quality but only fleetingly achieves it. Little details grate - for instance, the obviously false whiskers worn by General Smuts (Viljoen); or the big set-pieces in which there never quite seem to be enough extras.

Individual scenes - Harilal defiantly confessing to his misdeeds on a busy street as a theatrical troupe passes by or the sequence in which he runs alongside his parents as they sit feted by huge crowds in a train - are well handled but the pacing overall is slack.

Before making the film, Feroze Khan also directed a very well-received theatre play, Mahatma Vs Gandhi, on the same subject. On stage, one guesses, the story must have been more tightly focused. At its core, this is a family drama about the vexed and very complicated relationship between a father and a son. By trying to open up the drama, Khan risks weakening it: rather the film is at its strongest when father and son are together, not when it is striving to be a big-screen epic.

David Chute in LA Weekly:

The premise is intriguing: the terrifying downside of having one of the greatest visionaries in human history as your old man. A first feature written and directed by theater veteran Feroz Abbas Khan, and produced as a “home production” by the great Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor (Mr. India), Gandhi, My Father radiates sincerity. It’s a beautifully shot and staged period reconstruction, and is at times impressively acted, at least in the secondary roles. What it lacks is fresh insight. We’re not surprised to learn that the unshakable principles that enabled Mahatma Gandhi (Darshan Jariwala) to shift the world on its axis were not always so helpful in dealing with individually flawed family members. Oldest son Hiralal Gandhi, in particular, led a frustrated and restless life, embracing several contradictory political and religious extremes, from Islam to Hindu fundamentalism, before ending his days in alcoholic destitution. Our sympathy for Hiralal as a victim, a poor schlub who would have been happy with a much less extraordinary life, is undercut by the weak-kneed performance of the often likable actor Akshaye Khanna (previously wonderful as the moonbat painter in Dil Chata Hai), who from the outset seems so sheepish and self-pitying that it would hardly take the force of a Mahtma to crush his spirit. This guy’s spirit comes pre-crushed.

Indeed, how is one supposed to play a weak man strongly? Harilal is a weak person, that is is the point of the movie. Still, the guy likes Akshaye though, so he is excused.

Gandhi--My Father premieres in South Africa

Gandhi--My Father had its premiere in South Africa which was quite well-recieved. Even madela was there, which is a scoop for the movie. I couldn't find any pics of Akshaye from the even though. So, this blog entry which describes the event will have to do. It has an amateur's pic of Akshaye and he looks like a vampire! Mucho cool.

More pics!

Dunno how I missed these but indiafm had more pcis of Gandhi--My Father, including the superb bridegroom photo I was waiting for! The last pic is pretty amazing too.

Happy!!!!!!!!!!!!

BTW, I just found out that Gandhi--My Father is definitely releasing where I live. Am I happy or what?!

New Yorkers loves Gandhi--My Father

New Yorkers have enjoyed a Hindi film, Gandhi My Father, which was recently screened in New York.

The audience at the Museum of the Moving Image (MoMI) theatre on Friday hardly had any Indian Americans. But they were all glued to the highly emotional drama played out between Mahatma Gandhi and his wayward eldest son Harilal. There were plenty of cheers when the movie ended.

The two-hour film seems to have been made with an international audience in mind. It may not become a blockbuster like Richard Attenborough's Gandhi (1982), but Gandhi My Father may win awards on the international film circuit.

The difference is that Gandhi dealt with Mahatma the icon while Gandhi My Father brings out the human side of the most well known Indian in the world.

The film's director Feroz Abbas Khan, an acclaimed Indian theatre director whose credits include Mahatma vs Gandhi, has said: "For me to direct this film meant that I would not sacrifice the creative aspect for the commercial ones."

Indeed, despite the presence in the film's cast of two Bollywood stars - Akshaye Khanna as Harilal and Bhoomika Chawla as Harilal's wife Gulab - there are no masala elements.

Akshaye and Bhoomika as well as Darshan Jariwala as the Mahatma and Shefali Shah as Kasturba turn in fine, restrained performances. Photography, design and other production values are all excellent. Gandhi My Father marks Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor's foray into production.

Most importantly, the film is emotionally engaging, even relentless, while managing to be fair to both Gandhi and Harilal. The screenplay builds the film up as a classic clash between convictions, values and family aspirations.

It does say, however, that what Gandhi did for the country and humanity was of greater importance than his unwillingness to particularly forward his son's career because he saw all his associates as his sons.

The film is based on Harilal Gandhi: A Life by Gandhian scholar Chandulal Dalal and is historically factual. The film has Harilal openly rebelling against Gandhi's ideals, converting to Islam, reconverting to Hinduism and being publicly disowned by the Mahatma.

Gandhi My Father is set to be released in India Aug 3.

MoMI will also be screening the Shah Rukh Khan starrer Devdas on August 10 to celebrate the vitality of Indian cinema as part of its World Cinema Showcase series. (Times of India)

I am tired of people lumping Akshaye with Bhumika or putting Darshan before Akshaye. Still, the buzz is building up people! Friday can't come soon enough.

International Press praises Akshaye, Gandhi--My Father

Foreign press is already praising Akshaye's performance! The movie is also getting some good advance notices.

Newsweek:

Mohandas Gandhi's son Harilal lies drunk and destitute on a dirty Mumbai street. A couple of passersby find him and cart him off to a nearby hospital. There a doctor prods him to name a family member they can contact. But Harilal can barely remember his own name. Eventually he whispers: "Gandhi." Impatiently, the doctor tells Harilal that Gandhi is father to the whole Indian nation. "What is your father's name?" he asks.

The poignant scene dramatizes the central tension in the new film "Gandhi, My Father," a gripping account of the stormy relationship between one of the world's greatest political icons and his rebellious eldest son. Based on the biography "Harilal: A Life," by the Gujarati scholar Chandulal Dalal, "Gandhi, My Father"—shot in Hindi and English—sheds light on the human side of the mahatma, whose nonviolent resistance to British rule helped win India its independence in 1947. First-time film director Feroze Abbas Khan and Bollywood star turned producer Anil Kapoor blend sweeping sets and colorful costumes to create an emotionally charged period piece that occasionally verges on melodrama but is also sprinkled with genuine moments of comedy. "This is a story about a clash of principles between father and son," says Khan, who first tackled the subject in his play "Mahatma vs. Gandhi." "Harilal carried his Gandhi identity like a curse around his neck. It was something that he just couldn't shake off."
The film recounts Harilal's lifelong struggle with his father's idealistic principles and refusal to favor his own children above anybody else's. Gandhi encourages his four sons, raised in South Africa, to explore a range of blue-collar careers, from farmer to weaver—only to be disappointed by Harilal's bourgeois desire to become a barrister like his father. The seeds of contention are further sown when Gandhi gives a distant nephew, rather than Harilal, a scholarship to study abroad. Determined to forge his own path, Harilal returns to India. But after he loses his wife and young son to cholera, his despair leads him to alcoholism, brothels and money laundering. In an act of rebellion against his Hindu father, Harilal converts to Islam, adopting the name Abdullah. Gandhi strikes back by publicly condemning and disowning his son. Later, Harilal converts back to Hinduism but continues to live the life of a derelict. He dies just five months after Gandhi is assassinated.

Veteran actor Darshan Jariwala gives a refreshing portrayal of a man whose cast-iron morality could transform a nation yet failed to save his own son. Shefali Shah ("Monsoon Wedding"), who plays Gandhi's wife, Kasturba, and Bhumika Chawla as Harilal's wife, Gulab, give powerful performances as women caught in the cross-fire between father and son. Bollywood star Akshaye Khanna, who lost 20 kilograms for the part, delivers a fine performance as the harrowed Harilal, stumbling from pillar to post, bottle to brothel, in search of his identity.
Not everyone is embracing Khan's debut as a filmmaker. Some Indians have called for a ban of the film—just weeks ahead of its scheduled premiere in Johannesburg on Aug. 3, which Nelson Mandela and South African President Thabo Mbeki are expected to attend. Protesters in the eastern state of Bihar have urged the Indian government to halt the film's release for fear of tarnishing their national hero's image. But Tushar Gandhi, the 47-year-old grandson of Manilal Gandhi, the second of Gandhi's four sons, says people should reserve judgment until they see it. "The film remains sincere to the subject," he says, admitting it made him shed a few tears. "It is as though somebody has understood the pain of what our family went through."

Khan is meticulous in his effort to deliver a balanced narrative, painting neither Gandhi nor Harilal as the villain. Previous films on the subject—like Richard Attenborough's Oscar-winning epic "Gandhi"—portray the great man as a political saint. "Gandhi, My Father" upends this notion, depicting the mahatma as a difficult patriarch whose ideals shaped a nation but hurt his family. As Khan points out: "He loved his son and family, but he loved the nation more." It's a distinction that makes for a compelling film.

Variety:

Bollywood thesp Anil Kapoor is making his producing debut with "Gandhi My Father," one of the few Indian films to deal directly with the life of Mahatma Gandhi.
Pic, helmed by Feroz Abbas Khan, is based on Khan's earlier play "Mahatma vs. Gandhi" and tells the story of the tortured relationship between Gandhi and his eldest son Harilal, who would come to be disowned by his father, convert to Islam before returning to Hinduism, and eventually descend into alcoholism.
Pic, with a budget of roughly $5 million put up entirely by Kapoor, is purportedly only the second Indian feature to focus on the figure of Gandhi in a main role.
While numerous Indian pics have included the Mahatma in cameo roles, such as Ketan Mehta's "Sardar" and, more recently, Rajkumar Hirani's "Lage raho munnabhai" (best director at the Intl. Indian Film Academy awards in June), very few have dealt with the iconic leader head-on.
The most well-known cinematic portrayal remains Ben Kingsley's Oscar-winning turn in Richard Attenborough's "Gandhi," which also scooped the picture and director Academy Awards in 1983.
"This film has a totally different feel and look. It will provide the Indian point of view about Gandhi," says Kapoor. "I feel it will show the human side to him behind the iconic."
Eros Entertainment, the London-listed Bollywood distrib, is handling the pic's day-and-date global release Aug. 3. Both Kapoor and Khan were in London for a press confab July 25 to launch the pic's international preem.
Pic's bow is close to the 60th anniversary of Indian Independence on Aug. 15 and looks certain to raise the interest of Indian auds with its attempts to go beyond a hagiographical portrait of the figure.
"We're pretty sure it will provoke a lot of debate with Indians, not just about Gandhi, but also about themselves," Khan says. "Some people don't even know that Gandhi had so many children, much less that he had a son who went in the direction he did."
Darshan Jariwala plays Mahatma Gandhi, with Akshaye Khanna in the role of his troubled son.

Here's another detailed report in Belfast Telegraph. Hang on, there was a big notice in The Independent as well. Will post it as soon as I find it.

Akshaye n Anil on Star Plus

I couldnt copy the pics from this site but there a couple of pics here.

As the final countdown to unveil the passion of the Nation and discover the AMUL STAR VOICE OF INDIA comes close quarters, zooming into the interesting phase of 'Bemisaal Barah' (or the final 12), the show this weekend along with its musical highs will have a visual treat on offer too, as it opens with Bollywood's celebrated double AK jodi - Anil Kapoor & Akshaye Khanna.
Seen together for the first time on STAR PLUS the effervescent ' E ji, O ji' Kapoor and the cool dude of Bollywood, Akshaye Khanna, will share their winning Taal-isman and many energetic & emotional moments with the bemisaal baraah. The Final 12 contestants of Amul STAR Voice of India.
The show begins with a sweeping performance by Ishmeet, who has the two celebrity guests floored with his impeccable voice on the ever green number 'E Ji O Ji' from Tezaab. An emotionally moved Anil finds himself reliving the moments of Tezaab with Ishmeet's performance and exclaims, "Puraani Yaadein Taaza Ho Gayi! " . Both the celebrity guests were all in praise for the young lad from Ludhiana for his graceful style. Tagging the evening as 'Anil Kapoor' special all the contestants from the bemisaal baraah of Amul STAR Voice of India will perform on various Anil Kapoor hits, as they exhibit their gratitude & appreciation towards the great entertainer.
Presenting the guests with the gift of their captivating voices will also be the talented duo of Aabhas & Abhilasha as they croon to Anil Kapoor's personal favorite 'Kuch Na Kaho' from the movie 1942- A love story. Pleased with the contestant's endeavor to sing such a difficult song, Anil congratulates them, to which Akshaye adds, "Dono bacche lagte hai, but awaaz main bahut dum hai…jaan hai…"
The show picks up an amazing memento as Toshi & Mirande coax Anil to join them on the stage while they sing the high-energy song Ramta Jogi …from Taal , to which this passionate music lover…jives unabashedly his well choreographed steps just as in the movie TAAL !
Completely overwhelmed with Prantik & Priyani's confidence and an awe-inspiring singing on the famous track Kate Nahi Katate from Mr. India, Anil candidly suggests that with the gifted asset of his great vocals, all that Prantik needs to do is, improve his diction!
In his complete bindaas element Kapoor will sure be a show stealer as he will keep jigging & jiving with all the other contestants: Sumitra, Aspreet, Irfan, Harshit & Prantika performing on his all time hit Bollywood tracks ranging from- Kay Sara Sara, Dhak Dhak Karne to the Ek Do Teen…. which will enthral and entertain one & all on the show. What comes as the most touching and emotional moment for Anil Kapoor is when one of the contestants honours him with a Rajasthani pagdi and beautifully renders the song 'morni baga ma…' from the popular movie ' Lamhe'.
So, stay tuned to catch this dramatic & entertaining episode of AMUL STAR VOICE OF INDIA, as the battle continues to discover the best of singing talent of the nation…Sat, July 28th, 10.00 pm only on STAR PLUS.

Gandhi_My Father inspires India's premiere painter

Gandhi--My Father so moved satish gujral that he did a painting in the honour of the movie after seeing it!

CNN-IBN:
The star cast of the to-be-released film Gandhi, My Father was in the Capital on Monday to unveil artist Satish Gujral's latest painting.


Satish Gujral was so moved after he saw the film that he was inspired to make a special painting on it.


"I react to paintings instinctly. But what I can say is that it’s a great honour for the film and our team that he spontaneously decided to do the painting,” said Anil Kapoor.


Actor Akshaye Khanna who plays the role of Gandhi's son in the film added, “It’s so beautiful, apt to the film and fantastic. I’ll be forever grateful to Gujral saheb.”


But the actors and the NGO team vouch that it’s a painting not done on just a whim for some fun and publicity. It's for a charity auction. And if you have missed the auction in Delhi, it will travel to Mumbai in the first week of August.

Anil pulls Akshaye's leg

Not many people know that Akshaye Khanna had initially turned down the offer to act in Anil Kapoor’s film Gandhi My Father .

The two actors had already been friends since they worked together in Subhash Ghai’s movie Taal . So when Anil decided to approach Akshaye for his home production ‘Gandhi My Father’, he decided to pull a fast one on Akshaye.




He sent director Feroz Abbas Khan to Akshaye’s place with the film’s script. After Akshaye had gone through the script, Anil called Akshaye and told him that he wanted him to play Gandhi in the film.

Akshaye was shocked to hear what Anil said.

“I immediately walked to the mirror and checked my face, wondering what Anil saw in me to ask me to play Gandhi,” says Akshaye.

Thereafter, Akshaye decided to ignore Anil because he did not want to play the role of Gandhi. Anil called him repeatedly but Akshaye ignored his calls.

It was then Anil sent Akshaye a SMS that he wanted him to play Harilal Gandhi, the eldest son of Mahatma Gandhi.

Obviously interested in the role, Akshaye then set a meeting with Anil. When the two met, they had a hearty laugh together.

‘Gandhi My Father’ is based on the story of turbulent relationship between Mahatma Gandhi and his eldest son Harilal.

Sheer Class

We've heard this music hudred times before but this version somehow is quite moving. Everything about this movie is turning out to be classy. There are some new snippets of Akshaye too in the new promo of Gandhi My Father. Must say on the whole, the promotion of this new movie has been magnificent.

Tour de force

The movie's blog is updated with newspaper clippings. Take a look. Meanwhile, the media continue to shower praises. Can't agree more with the sentiments expressed here

Akshaye's greatness obvious!

It is now becoming obvious that Akshaye Khanna has given a mind-blowing performance in Anil Kapoor's 'Gandhi My Father'. Some of the sequences (being aired), especially the one where Harilal discloses his father's name are stunning.
However, there are still quite a few who think that it has been directed by Fardeen Khan's father, veteran actor-director Feroz Khan. In a bid to put an end to the confusion, the director of the movie, Feroze Khan, has now started using his full name, that is Feroze Abbas Khan.
'Gandhi My Father' is all set to release on August 3rd. (Bollyvista.com)

Akshaye getting great reviews even before the movie releases! Finally.

The Talented Mr.Khanna

He’s a joy to watch, but a pickle to interview. Akshaye Khanna tells it like it is


Are you between films now or starting on something new?

I have just finished Race with Abbas Mastan — it’s got Anil Kapoor, Saif (Ali Khan), myself, couple of heroines and now I’m busy trying to promote Naqaab and then Gandhi My Father. I’m not shooting for a while, then I’m starting on an Anil Kapoor production called Short Cut. So at the moment, I’m in limbo.

Who’s directing Short Cut?

We’ll talk about that at a later stage.

Saif said that Race is a complete masala movie. It’s another film with Abbas Mastan for you soon after Naqaab.

Yeah, we did two films back to back. I have two thrillers from Abbas Mastan but both are very different. Both, to my mind, were very good scripts (laughs). I completely enjoyed doing them.

Naqaab’s trailer gives you the same feeling as Humraaz.

I can completely understand that response because they’re the same actors, same director, one girl, but I must say it is a completely different film, script, setting. So it’s not doing justice to Naqaab to compare it to that film.

It’s called the most shocking film. Are there shades of A Perfect Murder?

No, I can’t even touch on those aspects because like any good thriller, it would be foolish to reveal the plot. If you know what’s going to happen, then there’s no fun!

When we say it’s the most shocking thriller, that’s the USP of the film. It’s constantly going to keep you guessing. It’s very unpredictable. It’s constantly moving in directions you least expect.

It’s shocking, surprising you. People are looking for that in a thriller. Every director has a forte and this is Abbas Mastan’s.

How is your comfort level with them?

We’ve got a tremendous comfort level because this is my third film and I’ve done Race as well. We like each other on a personal level – our business is a very people’s business.

You’re spending 100, 110 days in each other’s company from morning to night so it’s important at some level to like the people you work with. It’s an added bonus. It’s also important to a team to have success.

If you really enjoy working with each other but keep churning flop after flop, even that’s not going to work. Both our past films have been successes. We bounce off each other really well.

The trailers of Gandhi My Father are out. Have you seen the play?

No I missed it, but many people in my family have seen it.

How did the role of Harilal Gandhi come to you?

(Producer) Anil Kapoor and (director) Feroz Abbas Khan have been working on the script for a long time. It’s something they were very passionate about it and they offered it to me.

What was your reaction to the script?

I was spellbound. I had never experienced writing of this caliber. It was literally a work of genius; the writing was so powerful and beautiful. I had never experienced reading a script like that. It took me by the scruff of my neck and shook me up.

What is your feeling about the character itself?

We’re not here to analyse the character. I have to play the part. In this film, we’re telling a story that’s 100 per cent true about the relationship that Mahatma Gandhi shared with his eldest son Harilal Gandhi.

It’s a very intimate father and son love story. This is how my director calls it. And this is a story that a handful of people are aware of. In fact we know everything about Gandhi and Kasturba Gandhi, but we know nothing about their children. So this becomes a very interesting, beautiful story to tell.

This film has nothing to do with history, the freedom struggle or independence. It is about the family of Gandhi. And these are emotions that never become irrelevant or obsolete. They will never die. Everyone has a family so it’s a very universal theme.

Did you feel that Harilal was doomed because he struggled at every turn?

This is a film we really care about. Our entire team came from a place of honesty, of truth, as much as was humanly possible. We just wanted to tell the story as it is, without being judgmental. That was the very essence of our journey. We leave the judging to the audience. Our entire focus was in telling the story.

Apparently, there are some Gandhians protesting over the film’s theme?

I haven’t heard of anything. How can they protest about something they know nothing about? This is the story based on the biography of Harilal Gandhi by Chandulal Dalal.

Wasn’t the film stalled in court over some copyright problems?

No one has a copyright on history. So that doesn’t even arise. The project was never stalled.

After watching the film, how did you feel?

I wouldn’t want to talk about it. It’s so easy to praise yourself, your work, your family. I find it very stupid when people do that. I have loved this film – to me, it’s very special, like all my films are. But for me to sit and praise it without people having seen it, I find very immature and embarrassing. I have loved the film.

There were reports that you, along with the rest of the cast, did an hour of yoga every day while shooting. Is that your usual form of exercise?

I used to practise yoga anyway. I was really into it. It made me feel physically and mentally very good. It was a nice routine that Feroz suggested. I’ve always been athletic since school. I don’t exercise to lose weight. I enjoy it. I feel great after a workout – whether it’s squash, yoga or swimming. You feel so good!

Were you a rebellious son?

As a teenager, right up to when I was 25-26, I was very rebellious. I rebelled against any authority, sometimes even stupidly. That came from immaturity, childishness. Until date, I haven’t been comfortable with authority. Now my rebelliousness is more mature (laughs).

Do you protest quietly?

Yeah, I protest quietly. My rebellious energy is more mature.

What was your relationship like with your own dad? He was a bit of an absentee dad when he became an Osho follower.

(Pauses) I think we were too young to kind of understand anything. I was four or five. So that’s too young. I definitely must have felt the lack of it, but we had such a wonderful family support system.

That’s such a beautiful thing in India. As a child you feel so loved and taken care of. So those feelings were (pauses) balanced by family.

Was his absence ever explained to you?

No.

Did you ever question it?

No.

Any adjustment problems?

I don’t have a distinct memory of it.

Have the Khannas thought of teaming up?

We haven’t got script to team up together. I think Sunny has been working in the industry now for about 25 years? It’s taken him that long to find the right script for his dad, Bobby and him to work together. Give us little more time…

Rahul recently said how you’re often the bossy brother.

Really? I can be a bit bossy sometimes, but he’s bullied me all his life, so if I do it now, once in a while, it’s ok.

A while ago, you said you were lacking in self-confidence.

Self-confidence… it’s like the stock market. It goes up and down. I’ve never analysed why.

Your recent films Aap Ki Khatir and Salaam-e-Ishq were both disappointments.

Yes, I was particularly disappointed with Salaam-e-Ishq. I loved the film. The length proved to be an issue with the film. I completely understand why people felt it was too long, but I expected it to do much better.

At that time, you said the commitment-phobe in Salaam-e-Ishq was a lot like you. Do you still feel like that?

Sometimes. I suppose it’s all about someday meeting that person you can’t resist. That day hasn’t come. That’s the way I see love.

You’re still friends with your ex Tara Sharma — were there commitment problems there?

Yes, we’re friends, but the issue there wasn’t commitment.

And stories of you seeing someone in the US?

Untrue.

What is the status on your love life?

Nonexistent. I’m only 32 yaar. Why does everyone want to get me married? Let me enjoy myself, my freedom. I thoroughly protect and nurture it so it lasts for as long as possible.

On Simi Garewal’s show, you said you were anti-marriage.

(Sighs) I’m for reforms in the institution of marriage. I don’t subscribe to it in its present form. I feel that enough time has past; I think the time has come for changes to be made in the institution. It was not perfect when it was made and it’s still imperfect.

All institutions go through change. Life itself is change. Why shouldn’t marriage change? Let the pandits sit and discuss in forums. I think an overall look has to be taken. We have taken leaps in science and spirituality. Why not improve upon marriage?

Looks like you’ve really thought about this.

No, not really, I’ve never articulated this before. It’s an interesting thought. Most people may take offence to it because they believe marriage is a sacred thing. I apologise to them, but I’m entitled to my opinion.

You’re best friends with Anil Kapoor today. Did it start on the sets of Taal?

It started there definitely, but we lost touch. I met him couple of times a year at parties. But we interacted in such close proximity on this film that it gave us an opportunity to be friends.

Do you look to him for advice — career or personal?

(Laughs) Many times. Well, he is one of the senior most, successful actors. What I enjoy about Anil as a person and friend is his positivity about life. His energy is very positive and creative. He’s like a source of energy. People who meet him sip from that tap – it’s always open. That’s a great quality in a man.

There is an age gap between you two. Do you feel you’re more mature than your years?

I wish! No, I don’t think so. I know a lot of people my age who are much more mature than me.

From Mid-day. Thanks to the commenter who posted the link. You rock!

No movies but Shortcut to go and that won't start for a couple of months. Depressing! It makes me wild to think that there is this incredible actor just sitting at home doing nothing!

All eyes on Akshaye Khanna

Two of India's major newspapers have covered Gandhi--My Father this week (see below), something not achieved by standard Bollywood fare. Something tells me that the buzz around the film is building up. Whatever be its ultiamte commercial fate, this is one epochal movie event waiting to happen. Whatever be the commercial viability as a star, this movie should establish, once and for all, Akshaye's status as one of the major actors in Indian cinema or world cinema for that matter.

Know more about the character Akshaye is about to play

Harilal was Mahatma Gandhi's most inconvenient truth. The universal story of father and son as adversaries is only as old and tired as the institution of the family itself, but in the case of the Gandhi-Harilal contretemps it was clearly an unequal fight, with the odds quite hopelessly stacked against the son. It was one thing to buck an authoritarian father figure, quite another to be up against a political saint whose cast-iron devotion to principle and truth had a whole country in thrall.

With his stubborn morality, sexual abstinence, and faddish lifestyle, Gandhi was a difficult parent. He is perhaps the only upper-middle-class Indian father ever to have sat his four sons down and pointed them to a range of glorious career choices, from farmer and cobbler to weaver and scavenger, and to be deeply disappointed by their bourgeoisie desire to be lawyers and journalists.

The younger sons, Ramdas and Devdas, were indulged chiefly because by the time they had come of age, Gandhi is said to have learned from his earlier mistakes and scaled down the unrealistic levels of expectation. The two older boys, Harilal and Manilal, were in a sense the guinea pigs of his radical world view and this affected them deeply. All his life Harilal struggled against his father's magnificent impartiality and refusal to favour his own children above anyone else's in the settlement. And so a scholarship to study abroad, which might have changed the young man's life, was passed on to a distant nephew. It was a hard blow and the early seeds of discord were sown.

The ill-starred Harilal is back in the news as a result of the soon-to-be-released film, Gandhi — My Father. Director Feroz Khan, who is revisiting a subject that he first tackled with remarkable sensitivity in his play Mahatma Vs Gandhi, once more interrogates this vexed relationship.

The film is based on Chandulal Bhagubhai Dalal's fine book Harilal Gandhi: A Life (Orient Longman), acknowledged as the most authentic documentation of the Mahatma-Harilal relationship. Khan calls it "the Gangotri". The film opens with Harilal's death, him being scraped off the streets in Mumbai and carried to Sion Hospital. He is so far gone that he can barely say his name, and when asked for his father's, can only manage "Bapu". Impatient with his delirium, the doctors tell him Bapu is the whole of India's father. What is your father's name? Ironies of this kind strafe the film.

If khadi was an article of faith for Gandhi, his son hawked foreign cloth. If non-violence was the touchstone of his father's philosophy, Harilal's business at one point depended on the continuance of World War II. Peace brought with it ruination.

Unable to bear that his essentially good-hearted son had fallen among thieves, Gandhi publicly cut ties with him. And when Harilal, whose insolvency made him a prime candidate for being appropriated, crossed briefly to Islam and became Abdullah, his father struck back with an editorial in Harijan, accusing him of converting on specious grounds, of being addicted to the bottle, and of visiting houses of ill-repute. The conversion is said to have broken Kasturba's heart.

That there was some sort of unspoken blacking out of Harilal from Gandhi's daily world is evident from the fact that his faithful secretary Mahadev Desai, meticulous in all else, is almost completely silent on Harilal. Gandhi, too, chose to tear up the letters written to him by his son. Fortunately for us, Harilal preserved his father's numerous missives, which, along with his own letters to his wife Gulab and sister-in-law Balibehn, remain the most valid route to understanding him.

But it is thanks to the first-person account by Mahadev's son Narayan Desai that we are privy to the most gutting encounter between Gandhi, Kasturba and Harilal at Katni station. Harilal has begged for an orange and brought one for his mother. When asked by his Bapu if there is one for him too, he replies, "No, nothing for you. All the greatness you have achieved is only because of Ba. Never forget that." And as the crowd shouts slogans in praise of Gandhi, a quavering, defiant voice is heard above the din, "Kasturba ki jai."

(Times of India)