The Making Of The Mahatma (1996)

My Reviews, ,

With the approach of 2nd October and it being Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary, comes the inevitable reminder of the many films and other content portraying his life, ideas and legacy. Among them, Richard Attenborough’s Oscar winning biopic Gandhi (1982) is perhaps the best known. Ben Kingsley’s portrayal of the title character was widely appreciated. I recall the film used to be telecast on Doordarshan, probably every year(?).

But Attenborough’s Gandhi is far from the only film to have explored the Mahatma’s life. One such creation is Shyam Benegal’s The Making of the Mahatma (1996) or its Hindi version Gandhi Se Mahatma Tak, which takes a particularly interesting approach: instead of beginning with the internationally recognised Mahatma Gandhi, it looks back at the young Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (MKG) and the experiences that shaped him during his years in South Africa. The film ends at the point when Gandhiji ends his stay in South Africa after 21 years.

This movie was jointly produced by the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) of India and the South African Broadcasting Corporation. It is based on the book Apprenticeship of a Mahatma by Fatima Meer. Rajit Kapur played MKG and won the National Film Award for Best Actor.

The Plot

It is 1892. A very young MKG (Rajit Kapur) lives in Rajkot with his wife Kasturba (Pallavi Joshi) and 2 sons Hiralal and Manilal. MKG is a qualified barrister at law from London. He has received a letter from South Africa. Seth Dada Abdullah, an Indian businessman is fighting a court case against his brother. MKG has been invited to support the handling of the case in addition to the other attorneys. Kasturba is not very keen when she hears this. Its been hardly a year since he came back from London. He tries to convince her. The pay will be good and he needs to spend only a few months abroad. The decision is made and he arrives in Durban in 1893.

MKG is about to have life impacting experiences right from time he arrives in South Africa. It is interesting to note that the young MKG would dress up in smart European clothes and consider himself at par with the other barristers, most of whom are British. Mr Baker is Abdullah’s advocate. He meets MKG and they go to the local court together. The judge asks MKG to remove his turban while he is inside the court room. (As per the rule only Muslims are permitted to wear a turban as part of their faith). MKG explains that removing the turban in front of the judge would mean showing him disrespect but the judge doesn’t care. MKG prefers to leave the court than compromise on his principles.

Later, he boards the train to Pretoria. MKG has a reservation in the first class compartment. A British man boards the train at Pietermaritzburg. He is furious to see an Indian (termed as coolie) in the compartment. MKG is ordered to shift to the luggage van that is fit for coolies. MKG refuses to budge from his seat and is forcefully thrown out from the compartment for the simple reason that he is not an European. MKG sits on the platform and ponders on the discrimination faced by him only because of his skin colour. He faces a similar situation when he reaches Charleston the next day. He has to travel in a horse coach in order to reach Pretoria. But he is not allowed to sit inside the coach because he is an Indian/ coolie. He can only sit with the coach driver. He opposes this rule but is insulted and gets beaten later.

On reaching Pretoria, he meets Mr. Baker. MKG tells him that he is unable to get a room in a hotel. Mr Baker explains it is on account of colour prejudice prevalent there. They have a talk about religion. MKG says he doesn’t know much about his own religion but would like to know about other religions. Baker invites him to attend a church sermon.

In another incident, MKG is thrown off from a pavement because the house next to it belongs to a British man (President Kruger). Coloured people are not allowed even to walk on the pavement of a European’s residence. MKG notes that being a barrister and a man of high status have no bearing on his place in society. He meets Tayyab Seth, Abdullah’s cousin. Over the next few months, he manages to attempt a reconciliation between the cousins and the case comes to a closure. It is time for MKG to leave for India. But the Indian people in Pretoria have other plans thanks to the British.

A new Indian Franchise Bill has been introduced due to which Indians would lose their right to vote. Further, this would lead to losing the right to trade, own property and finally the right to remain in Africa as British citizens. The Indians request MKG to stay and take up the case. He said there are other Indian attorneys who can do this. But apparently, the other attorneys are Christians and the other Indian communities do not trust them. MKG questions this reasoning but takes up the case.

The petition against the British is filed on behalf of the Indians, signatures are collected. MKG applies to practice as barrister in Natal. This application is approved in spite of opposition by the Natal Law Society. MKG realizes the need to bring the Indians together and form a regular association. This gives birth to the Natal Indian Congress on 22 August 1894. MKG is made the honorary secretary. As an attorney, MKG is introduced to more problems faced by the Indians. Indentured labour was a system of bonded, contract-based labour that European colonial powers used to replace enslaved labour after the abolition of slavery in the 19th century. These labour used to be mistreated and beaten by their European masters. MKG represents many such Indians in court.

Then there is the issue of the poll tax of 25 pounds per person in South Africa levied on adult Black and Indian residents, used as a tool for forced labor coercion and financial subjugation. MKG writes a pamphlet describing the inhumane nature of the conditions and opposing the tax implementation. The British are not amused and this results in more restrictive measures to avoid the influx of Indians into South Africa. MKG is attacked by some British men. He refuses to register a case against them stating their act of violence was a result of their ignorance.

These incidents continue and the Indian community suffers. MKG goes to jail multiple times. During the Boer War, he suggests that as a British citizen, they should side with the British. (They do so by acting as stretcher bearers to carry the dead and wounded from the battlefield.) MKG is of the opinion that this will demonstrate that the Indians are on the side of the British and it will be easier to gain concessions. But that is not what happens. The British only care about their interests and the rich resources of South Africa.

MKG starts a newspaper Indian Opinion and uses his resources to keep it going. But a time comes when the losses start mounting. He gets inspired by the writings of John Ruskin and starts a farm in Phoenix where they could grow their own food and carry out other activities including publishing the newspaper. It was also here that his philosophy of “satyagraha” took birth which became a means of non-violent resistance to take on the colonial power.

MKG continues with the struggle against the British who bring in more oppressive measures against the Indians. This culminates in to the historic “Great March” in 1913, where over 2,000 workers from Natal march across the border into the Transvaal region to protest against the discriminatory colonial immigration and tax laws introduced by the British.

In the midst of his fight for the rights of the Indians, we also come to know about the details of his family life. MKG doesn’t like the local Indian schools and he cannot send his children to the European schools. So he decides to teach them himself. His views on untouchability are revealed in the incident involving the chamber pot and there is a heated argument with Kasturba on this topic.

The family receives costly gifts when they are returning to India but MKG convinces his sons that the gifts should be returned. Kasturba doesn’t agree, she is a practical woman. She is already concerned because MKG has exhausted most of their resources including her jewellery. She is thinking about her sons’ marriages and the expense involved. Surely, these gifts would come handy on those occasions. She voices her opinions to MKG very strongly.

The film shows that his family is not always supportive of his views to give up everything and live austerely. An important scene brings out the strained relationship between MKG and his son Harilal. Harilal is shown to openly oppose his father’s ideology. One wonders if MKG thought of how much his family suffered as a result of his actions?

The Music

Vanraj Bhatia is credited as the music director. The film doesn’t have conventional music tracks. Vande Mataram set is a different tune is played during the final march scene. Interestingly, Usha Uthup sings the song.

My Thoughts

What makes The Making of the Mahatma particularly interesting is that it does not become preachy or spend its time celebrating the greatness of its central character. Instead, the film takes a relatively balanced approach, allowing us to see not only Gandhi’s strengths but also some of his flaws—his occasional rigidity in reasoning, and at times, his unquestioning trust in people and ideas when a more pragmatic approach might have served him better.

Rajit Kapur is excellent as M. K. Gandhi, convincingly portraying a man who is still finding his voice and shaping the principles that would eventually define him. Pallavi Joshi is equally effective as Kasturba Gandhi. Her character is not merely a passive presence in her husband’s life; she questions his actions and decisions from time to time, while also remaining one of his strongest sources of support.

The film was undoubtedly a challenging one to make, given the vast period it covers and the sheer number of historical events that had to be accommodated. Shyam Benegal makes a commendable effort to bring as many significant events as possible into the narrative. At times, however, these can appear abrupt or disconnected, particularly if the historical context is not known.

Nevertheless, The Making of the Mahatma works as both a biographical film and an engaging history lesson. The significant point is perhaps that it does not simply show us the Mahatma; it takes us back to a time when he was still M. K. Gandhi and the gradual transformation of the young lawyer to the status of the Mahatma.

Haatim Tai (1990)

My Reviews,

There was a time when mythological and fantasy films were popular in Hindi cinema. Some of them were full of trick scenes and special effects. Trends changed and the number of such film greatly reduced as the 90s arrived. Haatim Tai is one such fantasy adventure film. It is based on the character of Hatim Al Tai or simply Hatim Tai who was a part of Arab folklore. Apparently, he was a real person well known for his generosity. His reference has been included in the Arabian Nights.

The story of Haatim’s adventures offered a rich potential of fantasy filled entertainment which our film makers took notice of. There was a film called Hatim Tai made in 1956. Babubhai Mistry was credited for its special effects. The 1990 version was produced by Ratan Mohan and Babubhai Mistry took charge of the special effects and direction. The film stars Jeetendra, Sangeeta Bijlani, Sonu Walia, Raza Murad, Satish Shah and Amrish Puri.

The Plot

The film begins with the birth of Haatim whose father is an emperor. The location mentioned is Yemen. The boy grows up to be a young man (Jeetendra). He prays to Allah hoping to spend his life being useful to others. He is shown as a highly helpful and generous man. There is a huge gathering of needy people in front of his palace where Haatim and his servant cum companion Nazrul (Satish Shah) distribute money, clothes etc.

One day, princess Mariam (Reshma Singh?), daughter of a rich merchant Barzat (Raza Murad) comes to him seeking is intervention. Mariam is in love with Munir (Vijayendra Ghatge) but her father is opposing the marriage. He has told her outright that she cannot get married. Haatim is surprised to hear this and goes to meet Barzat.

Barzat tells them the reason for his behaviour. One night, he was sleeping when a fairy called Gulnaar Pari (Sangeeta Bijlani) entered his palace. He wakes up and is surprised to see her. He is enticed by her beauty and grabs her forcefully. Further he is unable to control himself and tries to molest her.

Gulnaar is furious and admonishes him for his behaviour. She curses him that his daughter Mariam will never be able to marry. If she marries, her husband will die the same night and Mariam will turn to stone. Saying this, Gulnaar herself starts turning into a beautiful stone sculpture. Barzat is shocked but manages to plead for forgiveness before she has completed her transformation.

Gulnaar acknowledges his apology and leaves him with 7 questions. She will return to her original form once the questions or riddles are solved. So that is the reason for Barzat’s unexpected behaviour.

As expected, Haatim volunteers to attempt and solve the questions. This means he will have to embark on a dangerous journey in search of the answers. But he has made up his mind. Nazrul joins him on his mission. They take leave of Barzat, Munir and Mariam and start their journey.

The journey involves travelling through long stretches of desert and jungles which have surprises along the way. Haatim manages to face the obstacles and solve one question after the other successfully.

They come across men who are tied upside down and women with their heads hanging from a tree. And tree like creatures with blinking red eyes trying to crush them.

There is a young woman who has developed animal like features. And a jinn who wants to eat Nazrul, who has come to meet him disguised as a young girl.

In between all this, Haatim meets Gulnaar Pari’s twin sister Pari Bano (also called Husna). He falls in love with her. Pari’s father Alok Nath is the ruler of Paristaan. He is furious that his daughter has fallen in love with a human being. He orders to teach Haatim a lesson by blinding him. But Allah comes to the rescue of Haatim. There is an earthquake and Pari Bano’s younger brother loses his eyesight suddenly. The boy’s father realizes his mistake and is convinced that Haatim is indeed a Khuda kaa nek banda (i.e. a righteous, virtuous, or godly person”—literally “a good/pious servant of God”).

Having sorted out his romantic life, Haatim moves ahead to solve the remaining riddles. He meet a very old woman who transforms into the beautiful and young Saira (Sonu Walia) after Haatim breaks a highly valuable magical pearl. Saira tells him about Kamlaq the wicked magician (Amrish Puri). Kamlaq was after the pearl and is furious when he cannot lay hands on it.

Kamlaq captures Haatim, Nazrul and Saira. He already has Husna in captivity. This is the final challenge for Haatim. The killing of Kamlaq will solve the 7th riddle.

Will Haatim be successful and defeat the evil magician? Will Gulnaar be free? Will he marry his beloved Pari? The answer is revealed after more magic and special effects in the climax.

The Music

The songs are forgettable and do not add any value to the story. They pop up randomly. The lyrics are by Hasan Kamal and music by Laxmikant Pyarelal. Mohammad Aziz, Anuradha Paudwal, Alka Yagnik, Kavita Krishnamurthy and Anupama Deshpande lend their voices to the predictable tunes. Amrish Puri sings a few lines in the climax song Aaj bachna hai mushkil tera.

My Thoughts

Haatim Tai is a film of missed opportunities. The fantasy genre is interesting with all the special effects that go into its making. That is meant to be the biggest draw for the audience. Unfortunately, the film fails badly in this department. Babubhai Mistry is regarded as a pioneer of special effects but the effort here is sadly underwhelming. Probably, the film’s budget was not supportive of the scale of fantasy that the story demanded. The sets are bad and you don’t feel like watching a film based in the land of the Arabs. The least they could have done was to show fake date trees in the background.

In one scene in the climax, Haatim and Kamlaq fight on a flying carpet. You can see they pass through Duke’s Nose in Lonavala near Pune (screen shot above!). They could have easily used footage of a desert in that scene.

You get tired of hearing that “Khuda kaa nek banda” phrase and Jeetendra has a signature pose throughout the film (that’s the nek banda praying).

Jeetendra looks old and puts in a boring and predictable performance. The other cast members seems to be inspired by him. Satish Shah attempts to add some flavour with his comedy sidekick role. It is left to the dependable Amrish Puri to instill some terror with his villanous act and is fairly successful. Frankly, you are bored by the time the film moves towards the final fight sequence and Haatim overcomes the final hurdle. The film ends on a happy note but cannot say the same about the audience. I wonder if the 1956 version was any better but it would be interesting to find out, right?

“Parody Songs”

My Lists

Welcome to the world of parody songs which was a popular genre at one time but has slowly faded from the current generation of movies. The dictionary meaning of parody refers to a literary or musical work in which the style of an author or work is closely imitated for comic effect or in ridicule. How well said!

Parody songs are not “original” songs in the true sense. A parody composition replaces the original lyrics of a song with (often) funny / satirical lyrics. The tune is same but the lyrics are altered to suit the film situation. They are typically used as part of the comedy side plot where a single song or a string of songs depict the humorous or dramatic situation in the story. In older films, these songs would be commonly picturized on the supporting actors or comedians.

If done correctly, the songs are highly enjoyable and hilarious to watch (a classic example is Mr. India). The fun part is identifying the original songs and appreciating the remixed lyrics. No wonder, the lyricist has to be skilled enough to think of convincing lyrics for every song to make an impact.

I have collated 10 such songs, all from pre-90s films. The links are also shared in the song title. Hope you enjoy and let me know your favourites.

1) Song: Aaye Na Baalam, Ka Karoon Sajni
Film: Main Chup Rahungi (1962)
Credits: Rajendra Krishan | Chitragupta | Mohammed Rafi, Lata Mangeshkar and Chorus

This is a cute song from a school drama depicting an orphaned rabbit who takes on the mighty lion. Master Babloo performs the role of the rabbit as Meena Kumari and Sunil Dutt watch the performance. The songs includes parodies of well known songs like Aaye na baalam ka karoon sajni, Yahoo, Itna na mujhse tu pyaar badha, Ehsaan tera hoga mujhpar, Dadi amma dadi amma maan jaao, Husnawale tera jawab nahi, Dhoondo dhoondo re saajana, Zara saamne to aao chhaliye.

2) Song: Jaa Raha Hoon Main
Film: Akashdeep (1965)
Credits: Majrooh Sultanpuri | Chitragupta | Manna Dey, S. Balbir and Asha Bhosle

Akashdeep was a forgettable movie in spite of big names like Ashok Kumar, Dharmendra, Nanda and Nimmi but it had good music. This song features Mehmood as the performer with his wife Shubha Khote sitting in the audience. He is fed up of his wife and thinking of marrying a second time. This thought is described in the funny song which includes parodies of Ruk jaa o janewali ruk jaa, Jo wada kiya woh, Ae gulbadan, Main to tum sang, Kabhi to milegi, Tum mujhe bhool bhi jaao, Zaroorat hai, Mujhko apne gale lagalo.

3) Song: Dheere Re Chalo Meri Langdi Bandariya
Film: Insaaf (1966)
Credits: Akhtar Romani | Usha Khanna | Johnny Whisky and Usha Khanna

Insaaf was a B Grade movie starring Prithviraaj Kapoor, Dara Singh, Helen etc. This lesser known parody track is enacted by the comedian Johnny Whisky along with Jeevan Kala. It is a typical situation where the comedian is trying to woo his love interest and she asks him to leave her alone. He calls her a monkey and she responds in kind. They sing altered versions of songs like Main kya karu Ram mujhe buddha mil gaya, Gudiya hamse roothi rahogi, Teri pyaari pyari surat ko, Mere mehboob qayamat hogi, Ek tu jo mila, Bol Radha bol sangam. Interestingly, Johnny Whisky is credited as the singer of the song; his voice resembles that of Mukesh.

4) Song: Suno Suno Kanyaon Ka Warnan
Film: Haseena Maan Jayegi (1968)
Credits: Prakash Mehra (?) | Kalyanji Anandji | Mohammed Rafi and Mahesh Kumar

Shashi Kapoor plays a college student conducting “research” about different types of girls. He presents his findings to his friends in the form of 4 parody songs. Mohammed Rafi sings the male song (Mere desh ki dharti), while Mahesh Kumar is credited for the female songs (Pardesiyon se na ankhiyaan milana, Jogan ban jaungi saiyyan tore kaaran, Ab aage teri marzi, originally sung by Lata Mangeshkar). The mimicked female voice sounds like that of Mubarak Begum. Shashi Kapoor looks cute in drag and he performs with conviction proving how good an actor he was!

5) Song: Chhahe Koi Mujhe Bhoot Kahe
Film: Waris (1969)
Credits: Rajinder Krishan | R. D. Burman | Mohammed Rafi and Asha Bhosle

This song is picturized on Mehmood and Aruna Irani as they try to rescue Baby Sonia (Neetu Singh) from some goons. They sing parodies of numbers like Yahoo, Dil ke jharokhon mein, Tu kitni achchi hai, An evening in Paris, Mere saamne wali khidki, Aaja aaja main hoon pyar tera as they tackle the bad guys. All seem to be enjoying the scene!

6) Song: Chal Chal Re Naujawaan
Film: Ek Phool Do Mali (1969)
Credits: Prem Dhawan | Ravi | Mohammed Rafi and Asha Bhosle

This is a comedy song enacted by the supporting characters of David, Manorama, Brahmachari and Shabnam. Manorama wants her son in law (Brahmachari) to climb a mountain. He has no intention of doing so but is coaxed by his in-laws and wife. This leads to some funny lyrics from songs like Chal chal re naujawan, Jo wada kiya woh, Dil ke jharokhon mein, Zindagi bhar nahi bhoolegi, Dil ki kahaani rang layi, Neel gagan par udte baadal, Mere saamne wali khidki mein, PArde mein rehne do and Ye Raste Hai Pyaar Ke. The singing and the acting is too good.

7) Song: Mere Saamne Wale Kamre Mein
Film: Lakhon Mein Ek (1971)
Credits: Anand Bakshi | R. D. Burman | Manna Dey and Asha Bhosle

Lakhon Mein Ek was one of the films where Mehmood played the central character. The film revolves around his character and his neighbours, who all stay in a chawl. There is a married couple played by Ramesh Deo and Shubha Khote. The wife starts singing the song to tease her husband. They sings versions of RD & SD Burman songs like Mere saamne wali khidki mein, Puchho ho na kaise maine, Ye jo mohabbat hai, Jhan jhan jhan jhan paayal baaje, Mere sapno ki rani and O mere sona re.

8) Song: Ye Kaun Hai Ye Kaun Hai
Film: Main Sundar Hoon (1971)
Credits: Anand Bakshi | Shankar Jaikishan| Mukesh, Manna Dey and Asha Bhosle

This is another film in which Mehmood plays the central character. He is Sundar, who becomes a film star. In this scene, he is part of a fund raising campaign organized by film stars. He performs a skit on family planning. Aruna Irani plays his wife. The performance is filled with parodies of songs like Wo kaun hai wo kaun hai, Teri pyaari pyaari surat ko, Roop tera mastana and Ae bhai zara dekh ke chalo.

9) Song: Radha Pyaar De
Film: Insaaf Ki Awaaz (1986)
Credits: Indeevar | Bappi Lahiri | Kishore Kumar, S. Janaki and Chorus

This in one of the cringiest songs and shows everything that was wrong in 1980s cinema. There is a comedy track between a married couple Jagdeep and Aruna Irani. Her ex-lover Asrani shows up and openly flirts with her. The result is this song which depicts Asrani as Lord Krishna and Aruna Irani as Radha; they belt out parodies of Bappi Lahiri songs. The lyrics are funny but the picturization is offensive. I doubt if such a song can be imagined and executed today.

10) Song: Na Maange Sona Chandi
Film: Mr India (1987)
Credits: Javed Akhtar | Laxmikant Pyarelal | Shabbir Kumar, Anuradha Paudwal and Chorus

And finally the all time favorite song. It is a rare parody song which is picturized on the main leads. All songs parodied are compositions by Laxmikant Pyarelal. From Na maangu sona chandi (Bobby) to Om Shanti Om (Karz), it is amusing to listen to and view the classic songs in a different context.