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HomeFeaturesCould Gandhi assassination have been stopped? New film raises question

Could Gandhi assassination have been stopped? New film raises question

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Om Puri-starrer claims there was a conspiracy, and police and key leaders were aware of the plot to kill the Mahatma but remained silent.

A 51-second trailer of The Gandhi Murder, a film that claims to get to the bottom of the conspiracy to assassinate Mahatma Gandhi, has everyone hooked.

The film, to be released on the 71st anniversary of Gandhi’s assassination, is based on true events that took place before the killing and talks of how both the police and key politicians were aware of the plot and yet did nothing to stop it.

The film not only raises questions on what history books say about the assassination, but also claims that what was conveyed by governments is not the truth and points to a conspiracy.

Starring Om Puri, Spanish actor Jesus Sans, American actor Stephen Lang, British actors Luke Pasqualino and Vinnie Jones, the film follows three senior police officers in different parts of India, who, well aware of the intelligence that Gandhi’s life is under threat, must take key decisions that would eventually either save the leader, or the country.


Also read: Ram Guha is wrong. Gandhi went from a racist young man to a racist middle-aged man


‘Cops knew, chose not to act’

The film, directed by Algerian filmmaker Karim Traidia and Dubai-based Pankaj Sehgal, has been produced by Nugen Media, also based in Dubai. It will be distributed by Rising Star Entertainment Ltd.

Sehgal, in an interview to Gulf News, said the film, set in post-Partition India, will delve into areas that have rarely been touched upon by Indian history books.

“This is a film based on real events around the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi at a time when India was divided on sectarian grounds, especially after the Partition. Gandhi was trying to bring people together, but unfortunately many people didn’t believe in the concept of togetherness… At that time, some police officers knew about the assassination plot… They were aware of it, but chose not to act,” he told Gulf News.

American actor Lang plays a police officer with a cryptic agenda, while Puri’s role is that of a Delhi-based cop who wanted to save Gandhi from being killed. But not all are as noble in this thriller as murky dealings in the highest corridors of power in India are revealed.

Tushar Gandhi’s take

Speaking about the film, Tushar Gandhi, Mahatma Gandhi’s great-grandson, and author of the book Let’s Kill Gandhi: A Chronicle Of His Last Days, The Conspiracy, Murder. Investigations and Trial, said: “I think they have taken a sensationalist tack. I hope they aren’t casting aspersions on Pandit Nehru and Sardar Patel. The conspiracy was by the right wing who wanted a Hindu Rashtra dominated by Brahmins and there were many in the police who were fifth columnist of the right-wing Hindu outfits.”

Tushar firmly believes that there was conspiracy.

“The mistakes in investigating the failed attempt on 20 January are too many and can’t be explained as coincidental. Even the murderers were confident about escaping with the help of their sympathisers and supporters in government and administration after the murder… there was definitely a conspiracy.”

He pointed out that probes in the past have indicated how the police was involved.

“The Kapoor Commission is severely critical of the role played by the police between 20 and 30 January, saying that there were several clues that the police ignored and their investigations felt as if it was more to facilitate the murder than to prevent it,” he said.

The story has been updated to include Tushar Gandhi’s quote.

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2 COMMENTS

  1. There are true intellectuals in this list. It is a fact. But also sorcerer’s apprentices whose place in this list is questionable. Are we an intellectual when we rewrite history from political choices? Is one an intellectual when one thinks that excessive computerization, without taking into consideration the protection of freedoms or the long-term risks on employment. These are questions that the Print team should ask themselves beforehand. We should always remember Einstein’s regrets after Hiroshima

  2. What is the use of having intellectuals if they are silent in the present state of the country? Is being intellectual mean destroying the identity of India, and running behind an Americanization of Indian life? Yes, progress is necessary, but is progress without consciousness the right thing for the country? This is an issue that The Print should have posed to the intellectuals on this list

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