- The account of troubled relationship between Mahatma Gandhi and his eldest son.
- Mohandas was born in the Gujarati speaking family, had several brothers who jointly owned property in Rajkot. At the age of 13 Mohandas married Kasturba. On attaining maturity he re-located to England, became a Barrister, returned home, and together with Kasturba re-located to South Africa. They returned to India for a few years and this is where they became parents of four sons: Harilal, Manilal, Ramdas and Devdas. Subsequently, the family returned to South Africa, leaving Harilal alone. As Harilal did not do well in his studies he got married to Gulab without his parents' blessings. Mohandas then invited Harilal to South Africa and on his Secretary's request also invited Gulab, who had recently given birth to a daughter, Rami. Harilal wanted to be a Barrister like his father but found his movements restricted as his father wanted him to actively participate against the Satanist and Racist British regime, leading to Harilal being arrested and imprisoned. Harilal's hopes of becoming a Barrister were dashed when Mohandas sent his nephew, Chaganlal, instead, and when Chaganlal proved a failure, sent Sorabjee to England in his place. Harilal then changed his name to Pranlal Mehta in a vain attempt to return to India. A frustrated Gulab, now a mother of 4, did return to India with her children. After actively protesting draconian British Laws, especially the Christian Act that only recognized marriages performed by a Christian Priest, by General Ian Smutts, Mohandas was imprisoned, and upon being released returned to India. He hoped that Harilal would follow in his footsteps, but Harilal re-located to Calcutta, found a job as a Cashier, embezzled and borrowed money to buy imported cloths, in vast contrast to Mohandas' campaign to burn foreign clothing, got himself in trouble and debt, prompting Gulab to return to leave him. Harilal did return to Gujarat after he heard of his son, Shanti's and Gulab's passing. He did get involved in the freedom struggle temporarily, but was lured by some businessmen, who used his and his dad's name to get people to invest, and then disappeared, forcing Mohandas to publicly disown his son, who was then arrested and imprisoned. Unstable, unemployed, unable to keep up with his father's lofty standards, Harilal considered becoming a Christian, but then with Zakaria's help became an Islamic and changed his name to Abdullah, prompting Kasturba to pay him a visit and talk him to becoming a Hindu again. Then when Mohandas announced the beginning of 'Do or Die' campaign in Bombay during 1942, he was placed under house arrest in the Agha Khan Palace with Hindus calling him a traitor and Muslims praying for his death. This is where a distraught, disheveled and bearded Harilal will meet his parents. Will his parents accept him as he is and welcome him back?—rAjOo (gunwanti@hotmail.com)
- Gandhi My Father paints the picture of Gandhi's intricate, complex, and strained relationship with son Harilal Gandhi. From the onset, the two had dreams in opposite directions. Harilal (Akshay Khanna) wanted to study abroad and become a barrister like his father, while Gandhi hoped that his son would join him and fight for his ideals and causes. Its 1906, Harilal is a young man & is in Rajkot, while Mohanlal & Kastur Gandhi are in South Africa, leading the fight against apartheid. Harilal sends news of his impending marriage to Gulab, but Mohanlal responds negatively, saying that he would no longer recognize Hari as his son over this.
Hari comes to South Africa to reconcile with his dad, leaving Gulab behind in Rajkot. Upon seeing him, Mohan asks for Gulab to be brought to South Africa to join Hari. Initially Hari joins his father in the fight against apartheid & supports him when he is arrested for refusing to carry cards required for entry into areas of Durban meant for whites only. Hari is sentenced to jail. A friend warns Mohandas that Hari is looking for a formal education & wants to settle down, but Mohan is dead keen on having Hari join the movement that he is championing.
While Hari is in jail, Mohan decides to ship Gulab & Hari's daughter back to India. This infuriates Hari. Furthermore, a friend of Mohan creates a scholarship for a student to go to England & study law. He wants Mohan to pick the deserving candidate. Mohan ignores Hari & selects another member of his camp, who had established the Phoenix colony with Mohan in Durban. When Gandhi doesn't give Harilal the opportunity to study abroad, it comes as a huge and almost unforgivable blow to Hari. He decides to abandon his father's vision and leaves South Africa for India where he joins his wife Gulab (Bhoomika Chawla) and kids. He goes back to school to earn his diploma but fails three times in a row and ends in a financial dump.
Mohan eventually comes to India in 1915 to start the freedom struggle. Hari meets Mohan & asks him for financial help, but Mohan refuses to help him saying that he has no money & that Hari should give up his dream of matriculation & concentrate on getting some job. Mohan also refuses to sell any family property to help Hari start some kind of business. As Mohan launches the resistance to English clothes, Hari gets a job in a factory in Calcutta & initially does well for himself. He also starts a business trading in foreign made clothes, exactly what Mohan is resisting. Hari had got the funds for his business by stealing for his factory. The factory belonged to Mohan's close & dear friend & Mohan advice the friend to file a case of fraud & embezzlement against Hari.
Each of his schemes to make money falls through and he ends up building a horrible reputation for himself, all the while tarnishing his father's name. Sick of his failure, Gulab returns to her parent's house with the kids and Hari stumbles and eventually falls. One of Hari's sons, Shanti, dies in an accident in Rajkot & Gulab falls very ill & dies by the time Hari can reach Rajkot. Hari couldn't even say goodbye to her.
Hari is distraught & Mohan tries to bring him to Sabarmati, but Hari refuses. Hari gets a job as an area sales rep for Godrej, selling soaps. Mohan again reaches out to Hari to get him to join the freedom struggle. This time Hari agrees. A group of businessmen approach Hari about setting up a factory in his name. They want to use the Gandhi name to earn profits. Hari tries to resist, but the temptation is too great for him. The business sells shares in the company to ordinary Indians & then vanish without a trace.
When the complaints reach Mohan, he publishes an article in paper, apologizing on Hari's behalf, breaking all bonds with him publicly & then gets him arrested. After getting out of jail, Hari turns to Christianity. He is also under debt. The Islamist movement wants to gain legitimacy to fight for an independent Pakistan. They recruit Hari by paying his debts & then converting him to Islam. This is to gain publicity by again using the Gandhi name. Hari is again arrested for hooliganism. When the Islamists feel that Hari is no longer an asset to their cause, they abandon him. Kasturba reaches out to Hari & asks him to mend his ways. Hari turns back to Hinduism but falls into poverty & destitution.
Mohan launches the Quit India Movement & is jailed by British in the Agha Khan jail. Kasturba dies in jail & Hari doesn't come to visit.
Riots break out in Calcutta between Hindus and Muslims as Jinnah's call for partition is answered by direct action on both sides. Mohan heads to Calcutta to bring peace. Mohan agrees to partition to avoid bloodshed & Pakistan is born. Hari ushers in Independence in Delhi, on the streets, without food or shelter. In Jan 1948, Mohan is killed by an assassin. Hari attends the public funeral in complete anonymity. Soon after he is hospitalized after being picked from the streets & dies on 18th June 1948 (5 months after Mohan's death).
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content
More from this title
More to explore
Most anticipated Indian movies and shows
Percentage shows amount of top page views.