In Dandi’s year, Most Favoured Role: Mahatma

But unlike last year’s Marathi film Shobhayatra, that showed Gandhi as a character, these films focus on the essence of Bapu—his history, teachings and quirks.

In FTII graduate and ad film-maker Abhik Bhanu’s debut feature Sab Kuch Hai Kuch Bhi Nahin, a young author wants to become famous by writing a controversial book on Gandhi. In the course of his research, he meets an elderly Gandhian (played by Alok Nath) who teaches him the Mahatma’s philosophy.

‘‘Gandhi’s name is widely used and abused,’’ says Bhanu, who will tackle themes like rural development, local self-government and micro credit. ‘‘My film is not about Gandhi but about his ideas and how they are relevant in the present context.’’

Anupam Kher, who is producing the Jhanu Barua-directed Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Maara, says Gandhi is quite relevant today. ‘‘As things go from bad to worse, we have to go back to something good, pure and solid. So who better than Gandhi and his larger-than-life persona.’’

For Anil Kapoor, it was the story that prompted him to ask theatre director Feroze Khan to direct Gandhi, My Father. Kapoor, who’s reluctant to share details about the film, says that the film is from the perspective of Gandhi’s son Hiralal, played by Akshaye Khanna.

Director Vidhu Vinod Chopra, however, has no such qualms. In Munnabhai Meets Mahatma Gandhi, his much anticipated sequel to the Sanjay Dutt starrer Munnabhai MBBS, he has pitted the Mahatma opposite the endearing conman.

Chopra says, ‘‘We wanted to bring out the contrast between Munna, who is such a schemer, with someone who is so virtuous,’’ says Chopra. ‘‘And who better than Gandhiji.’’

Forget Bollywood, it seems everybody wants a piece of Gandhi. Rajkot-based Bhavin Trivedi has made a 10-minute animation film, The Power of India, on the life of Mahatma Gandhi and is hoping to take it to the Clerment Ferrand short film festival, to be held in France.

And more than two decades after its release, the Arabic version of Richard Attenborough’s Gandhi was screened at Ramallah, in the West Bank earlier this week.

The screening, attended by several Palestinian ministers, is part of the “Gandhi Project” plan to show the film throughout the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. Ben Kingsley, who won an Oscar for the title role, was also present at the screening.

‘‘It goes to prove that his philosophy is eternal. Most of the Nobel Peace Prize winners publicly acknowledge the influence of Bapu on their lives,’’ says great-grandson Tushar A Gandhi.

The Mahatma Gandhi Foundation, where he is a managing trustee, has commissioned a documentary film to Nikhil and Niret Alva of Miditech.

(With inputs from Chintan Girish Modi)