IN SEARCH OF GANDHI

Directed by Lalit Vachani
2007, 52 minutes
Purchase: $310 / Classroom Rental: $125

In the early twentieth century, Mahatma Gandhi inspired millions of Indians to rise up against the British colonial state and successfully agitate for the establishment of a democratic and free India. In 2007, India celebrated the sixtieth anniversary of its existence as an independent nation, but what kind of a democracy does India have today, and what does it actually mean to live in the world's largest democracy?

Adopting the conventions of a road-movie, the film crew travels down the famous trail of Gandhi's salt march, stopping at the same villages and cities where Gandhi and his followers raised their call for independence.

In keeping with the principles of non-violent protest, the Salt March was a mass civil disobedience movement against the salt taxes imposed by the imperial British regime. The weeks that followed Gandhi's Salt March saw widespread civil disobedience across the sub-continent. Gandhi had inspired millions to go against the grain of imperial repression, but with passive resistance. Decades later, the same public is now fighting internally, creating bloody massacres in Gandhi's own state, Gujarat.

Tensions between Hindus and Muslims in India remain high, and new tensions are forming between the new middle class and the massive population still mired in poverty. Does the democracy India has adopted adhere to Gandhi's ideals? In Search of Gandhi documents the stories of ordinary citizens in India today to discover the current and future state of democracy in India.

Subjects & Collections

Reviews

“Highly recommended. A most memorable and thought provoking film.” - Educational Media Reviews Online

“In Search of Gandhi is the tragic story of the extent of the failure of Gandhi's dream. Keeping in mind the Massacre of Mumbai and the near collapse of the Western economic system, the relevance of Gandhi's legacy creates powerful resonances between this film and all the others.” - Leonardo Reviews

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