Actors: Parveen Dabbas, Rajit Kapoor, Sudhir Joshi, Raju Kher, Ashok Pandit

Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, Import, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen

Language: Hindi

Subtitles: English

Region: All Regions

Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1

Number of discs: 1

 Not Rated

Studio: Yash Raj Films

DVD Release Date: November 14, 2005

Run Time: 100 minutes

Professor Uttam Chaudhary is a retired Hindi teacher who lives with his daughter and young son in the city of Mumbai. He is suffering from what is laughingly called 'old age' - brief periods of forgetfulness, blanks in memory. Little does anyone realize that the problems are much deeper, and that this is just the beginning of a journey that will end in a man becoming a prisoner of his mind.

As his memories start to fade, a childhood trauma surfaces - a memory of being accused of murdering Gandhi. The more his life is whitewashed, the stronger this one memory remains. As his world turns increasingly hostile, Prof. Chaudhary sees everything as an enemy - his house is a jail, his family, all are his captors. And in the midst of all this is the story of his daughter. A single woman, working to not only support the family monetarily, but is also the only lifeline that can save her father from drowning in the universe his mind is creating.

It is the story of the power of one person's strength, hope and determination in pulling their loved one away from the abyss. It is a film that connects two disparate events together. One, of a small middle class family in present day Mumbai struggling to come to terms with the fact that the head of the family is now suffering from early dementia and two, the assassination of the father of the nation, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi.

The Professor's often repeated and exasperated denial 'Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara' is rooted back in an era when a truth seeking son of India became the father of a newborn nation. Someone killed this man, but his truth survives. He lives as long as his ideals breathe within us.

So though the title of the film says 'Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara', it also sends out a message saying that Gandhi ji is still alive in me! He should be alive in every one of us!

Review

Anupam Kher is simply brilliant. His portrayal deserves applause in superlatives. There is nothing made-up about his performance. Restrained with sensitivity and awed with a guilt-ridden past, Kher gives complex dimensions to professor Chaudhry. Urmila Matondkar isn't far behind. Her credibility as a versatile actress is further established in her reserved albeit realistic delivery of emotions. Rajat Kapur and Addy lend conviction to their parts. Even in brief roles, Samir Soni (as the doctor), Boman Irani and Waheeda Rehman leave a graceful impression. Technically, Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Maara stands out for its flawless photography by Raaj A Chakarvarthy. The imagery of his shots have their own silent tale to tell. If you think Bappi Lahiri is all about disco, his soulful background score has the last laugh. Dialogue and screenplay writer Sanjay Chauhan gets the heart of Barua's script just right. His meaningful dialogues make a point without being theatrical or overtly persuasive. --platform47.com

Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara is not a movie you can miss, for rarely does it happen in Bollywood that intelligent cinema like this makes its way to the mainstream. Even if you do not have much of an appetite for sentimental drama, watch it as a one-off venture. As the kind of infrequent masterpiece that will sit in a cultural museum. Of course, you can rest assured that you will thoroughly enjoy the process. --platform47.com

Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara"" (MGKNM) is that tender dewdrop perched on a wind-swept leaf that clings by sheer willpower. Its strength comes from within rather than from extraneous cinematic powers, stoking it into visible vibrancy. It is a thought provoking film that raises questions on many issues - the forgotten Gandhian ideals, the trauma of people in old age, the indifference of some children and the commitment of others. The movie involves a viewer from initial reels and keeps him engaged until the end. --platform47.com