Anupam Kher is one of finest actors inhabit the silver screen in the history of Hindi films, and Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara only reinforces his brilliance. Produced by Kher, and directed by Janua Barua, the film stars Anupam Kher as Professor Choudhary, and Urmilla Matondkar as his daughter, Trisha. Though named after the father of the nation, the film has nothing to do with our freedom struggle or with Gandhi.
This story is about Anupam, a retired professor of Hindi literature who, slowly but steadily deteriorates as far as his mental faculties are concerned, and becomes forgetful and paranoid. A widower, he lives with his daughter Urmilla and son. What is initially an annoyance and often a source of amusement for the family soon takes a serious turn, with Anupam going from bad to worse, working up intense fear and paranoia, and eventually asserting to one and all that he did not intentionally kill the Mahatma. His daughter Urmilla, who works for a child welfare organization struggles to balance her professional and personal life, as she lovingly takes care of her father. As Anupam gets more unmanageable, his eldest son (Rajat Kapoor) is summoned from the US, and the services of a psychiatrist (Parveen Dabbas) are enlisted. As the doctor and family try to come to terms with the illness, which could be anything from dementia, pseudo-dementia to Alzheimer’s disease, Urmilla loses her job and her fiancée.
Going back into Anupam’s past, the doctor comes up with something that could explain Anupam’s fixation of Gandhi and his death. When everything fails, the doctor resorts to creating a courtroom drama, which is engineered to end with Anupam’s acquittal. This, mercifully, relieves him of his guilt of having murdered Gandhiji. His dementia continues, and the film ends with father and daughter walking together on the beach, accepting life and its problems.
Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease has not received much exposure, where films are concerned, both here and abroad. Only a few films, like the Hollywood film Iris, and Sanjay Leela’s Black gave the audiences a sneak preview into this condition, and it to Anupam Kher’s credit that he has taken an issue which is so poorly understood, and brought it out well on the screen. India itself is supposed to be having about 3 million cases of dementia, and all the relatives and caregivers of such patients would do well, to see the film, in order to be able to understand and accept the condition, and to be free from guilt and remorse.
Of the cast, Anupam Kher delivers a magnificent performance as an old honest professor, afflicted with forgetfulness and dementia. Here is one actor who lives and breathes the role, right from the mannerisms, the walk, the speech and the body language of an Alzheimer’s patient. Halfway into the film, one is likely to forget that this is only an act, and not real. It would be no wonder if he wins many awards for this role. And the moderately lengthy monologue that he delivers towards the end is wonderfully done, and full on inner meaning and is a message to every Indian. Urmilla, as his daughter delivers another power packed performance, after Bhooth and Naina. Day by day, this is one actress who is maturing and turning more and more believable performances. The rest of the cast comprising Rajat Kapoor, Parveen Dabbas, Boman Irani and Sudhir Mishra are true to from, while the veterans Waheeda Rehman and Prem Chopra lend an old world charm to the film. The editing, cinematography, screenplay and music are all above average. MGKNM should easily rate as one of the best films this year. Go for it.