Gandhi My Father

1

Where did you find him? - Outside Grant Road railway station.

Grant Road.

He was unconscious but sometimes he speaks a little.

Did he give his name?

Harilal!

What is your father's name?

Try to speak

Gandhi

Mr. Gandhi.

Henry.

Mr. Gandhi, can I've a word.

What?

Can I've a word?

Can it wait?

It is urgent.

Well then.

Ramaiyya. Keep the weeds turning.

Yes, Henry.

Here it is.

The heading, read it.

He's dead and burnt.

Do you not find something wrong with this?

He's dead and burnt.

No.

Here we are.

Mr. Gandhi. This is an article I took great pains...

...about the president of South Africa.

My heading was "He's dead and buried".

And what is written here?

He's dead and burnt.

As a Christian...

...this is equivalent to going to hell.

You assured me that you'd personally do the proof reading.

All these sundry people...

...you've gathered here.

Everywhere.

They've no respect for the detail.

Even for a dead man.

I am sorry, Henry. We'll issue a clarification.

You know, as a Hindu I can understand.

The people at the press believe...

...that all dead, normally find emancipation by burning.

And come to think of it.

When you're dead, you're simply dead.

It's only when you're alive...

...you make all the difference to the world.

In life, life counts... - Mr. Gandhi, please.

Don't condone a serious lapse...

...with religious abstractions.

In the future, I think...

...I will sit right by the printing machine...

...and check all my own articles.

Henry.

Maybe you can also join us in turning the wheel.

Kastur! Kastur!

Mr. Calinburg. - Yes.

Can you please finish this today?

I will do my best, Mrs. Gandhi.

Thank you.

Kastur!

Out there in that press, do you throw colour on each other?

Not at all...

just black printing ink; we work very hard

and it's hot extremely hot out there

Anyway, there's a letter from Rajkot

From Hari?

How is he? - He is fine, having fun

I erred in my judgement...

...Kastur, shouldn't have left him alone in Rajkot

I warned you, but you wanted him to stay there

to get an education in our mother tongue.

But no school teaches that here

Why go to school for education? He can learn everything here in Phoenix

See, your disciples have arrived

Manilal, Ramdas, Devdas, three sons,

three fine examples of your education

All day, they're working in the fields,

minding the cows, kneading dough,

nursing the sick or singing prayers; what are our children becoming?

You heap worry upon worry

But our children need formal education

Hard work, self control, compassion, selfless service

these are values no school can provide

School teaches learning by rote. It does not build character

I've heard this before

See you later at the prayer meeting, Mr. Gandhi.

By the way, Harilal is getting married

Really?

He just informed me. No permission sought

He knows you'd surely object, won't you?

Marriage, at such a young age? What's the hurry?

Well, we got married when we were 13. You were in quite a hurry then

I still regret it. - What!

No, I mean, it was wrong on the part of our parents,

considering our age

Listen

It is you who chose Gulab for Hari

You got them engaged four years ago

How long can they wait?

Kastur, you know my views well

Even so,

if...

he insists on marrying against my wishes, then so be it

But I, his father...

must then... stop thinking of Harilal as my son

Look into the camera.

Smile.

Don't move, please

Smile.

Your father has not disowned you. He's disappointed, that's all

I don't know, Gulab. I want to educate myself,

to become a barrister, like him. Yet,

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