Gandhigiri

Lage Raho Muna Bhai

2007-05-09T11:06:00.000-07:00

Lage Raho Munna Bhai Carry on Munna Bhai) is a 2006 Indian musical comedy directed by Rajkumar Hirani and produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra. It is the second film in the popular Munna Bhai series of Bollywood. Sanjay Dutt stars in this film as Munna Bhai, a Mumbai (Bombay) underworld don, who begins to see the spirit of Mahatma Gandhi. Through his interactions with Gandhi, Munna Bhai begins to practice what he calls Gandhigiri (Satyagraha, non-violence, and truth) to help ordinary people solve their problems. His sidekick, Circuit, is portrayed by Arshad Warsi.
Lage Raho Munna Bhai has had a strong cultural impact in India, popularising Gandhism under Munna Bhai's notion of Gandhigiri. As noted by critics,the film has "stirred the popular imagination," leading to a number of Gandhigiri protests: "For generations born after Gandhi’s assassination, Munnabhai, the eponymous hero of the film, has rendered “Gandhism” passé and “Gandhian” arcane. The new buzzword is “Gandhigiri”, a value, and valuable, addition to the lexicon..."
It is also the first Hindi film to be screened at the United Nations and was praised by the Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh, who stated (using Gandhi's nickname, "Bapu" or father) that the movie "captures Bapu's message about the power of truth and humanism." The film was generally well received by critics, declared a "blockbuster," and was the recipient of a number of awards.

The decision to include Mahatma Gandhi as a central character in the film introduces, through his interactions with Munna Bhai, important thematic concepts and ideas that draw upon the period of Colonial India and the Indian independence movement. Gandhi was a leader in this movement, challenging the occupation of India by the British Empire through the use of Satyagraha (non-violence). In this context, Jhanvi and Munna Bhai's non-violent protest against Lucky Singh serves as a metaphor for the Indian Independence movement and the battle against the British Raj.
The thematic attention to Gandhi's theories in Lage Raho Munna Bhai has both revived an interest in Gandhism under the new term, Gandhigiri in India and has likewise "made Gandhi suddenly hip. Inspired by the hit movie, Indians are increasingly embracing his philosophy, staging nonviolent protests, starting Web sites, handing out roses to enemies and putting on peaked white caps from the Gandhi era." Indeed, according to reports, Gandhi is now a "new pop icon" in India[55] and as Arunabha Ghosh notes, "Gandhi, the man, was once the message. In the India of the post-liberalisation brand, gandhigiri is the message."Several websites and internet forums have also been created, encouraging people to return to the Gandhian philosophy.As chronicled by the International Herald Tribune article, "Does urbanized India have room for Gandhi?" (20 September 2006):
“
The real excitement was a Bollywood film [...] which has rapidly become the unexpected box-office hit of the year [...] With its big Bollywood soundtrack and dance routines, the movie brings Gandhi firmly into the mainstream and theaters have been packed for the past three weeks. The Congress Party recommended that all party members see the film. The Delhi authorities declared that tickets to the film would be sold tax free because of its assiduous promotion of Gandhian values."
”
This "Gandhi revival" has had a number of political as well as social repercussions. The Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh, announced the creation of a new Public Services Bill to combat corruption in a press release dated 17 November 2006 and cited Lage Raho Munna Bhai as one of its influences. Lage Raho Munna Bhai has also inspired a new interest in books about Gandhi,including requests for copies of Gandhi's autobiography, My Experiments with Truth from prison inmates. Management teachers in Indian management institutes have planned to incorporate Gandhian strategies shown in the film as well as the success-story of the film in teaching courses.Due to its influence, the film was made tax-free in Delhi, Chhattisgarh, Mumbai and Uttar Pradesh.
"Do Gandhigiri" advertisement
A number of examples of "Gandhigiri" protests and a new interest in satyagraha have also been reported. In New Delhi, on 29 January and 30 January 2007, a two-day conference (which included about 400 world leaders) to celebrate the 100th anniversary of satyagraha in South Africa was held. Partial inspiration for the conference came from Lage Raho Munna Bhai.Farmers staged a protest with flowers in the Vidarbha region, and people who organized a protest in Lucknow claimed to have been inspired by Lage Raho Munna Bhai to use roses to convey their message. In Lucknow students claimed to have been inspired by Lage Raho Munna Bhai to do volunteer work, planting trees "to conserve nature which is bound to benefit public health."] Mafia don Babloo Srivastava claimed to have been inspired by Lago Raho Munna Bhai to distribute roses as a "message of love and peace".
Theories for this sudden revival vary. Some have suggested that this phenomenon could be attributed to the film simplifying Gandhi's "lofty ideals" and conveying them "in contemporary, colloquial language. Others, according to The Christian Science Monitor, have noted that the appeal of the film lies in the fact that "Gandhi gets his hands dirty. He appears as an apparition only visible to the wayward gangster, counselling him on how to help others deal with everyday problems." Whatever the reason, a 13 October 2006 article in The Boston Globe, suggests that the revival has had a positive impact in India and states, "What America needs is a film that encourages people to take up Gandhigiri, Kinggiri, or Kennedygiri. If it worked for Bollywood, it could work for Hollywood."
Director Raj Kumar Hirani and his co-writer Abhijat Joshi have decided to create a comics series on the duo of Munna Bhai and Circuit. The comic books and proposed animation films will be marketed by Vinod Chopra Productions.Shankar Dada Zindabad, a Telugu remake of the film is under production.

New Age Gandhian Sanjay Dutt

2007-05-09T11:05:00.000-07:00

When Sanjay Dutt comes under the spell of Gandhi and confesses to Vidya Balan that he is a goon, there’s a wide round of applause. When he puts to shame an official who bribes a retired schoolmaster, the cheer is louder. Gandhigiri zindabad! Sanju baba zindabad!
Thanks to Lage Raho Munna Bhai, Sanjay Dutt has emerged a hero. A man who wears his discovery of Gandhi on his sleeves. A new-age Gandhian who has created a new wave of awareness about the father of nation.
Ironically, contrary to this newfound image, Dutt - son of yesteryear film stars Nargis and Sunil Dutt - has only been a black sheep of his family, always stirring up controversies. And his life had the ingredients of a Bollywood thriller - with a mix of action, stunts and crime.
Sanjay took to drugs at a young age. His mother’s premature death due to cancer worsened the situation. But soon, the man overcame his addiction, visiting a rehabilitation centre in the US. He then decided to turn a new leaf - by foraying into Bollywood with the film Rocky in 1981.
But Sanjay always carried an enfant terrible image and failed to get going in the film industry. Nevertheless, putting critics to rest, he made a comeback - moving from the lover boy image of Rocky to gritty action roles in films like Khalnayak and Thanedaar in the 1990s. Life suddenly looked better.
But misfortune struck him again. Wife Richa died of brain tumour. Losing the custody of his baby daughter was a bigger sorrow. Sanjay married again; that too was a failure.
But the biggest shock was yet to hit his family and the nation at large - Sanjay was announced an accused in the Mumbai blasts that killed 257 people.
He was charged with illegally possessing an AK-56 rifle, a 9 mm pistol during the 1993 blasts and for destroying the rifle under the TADA Act and the Arms Act. He was arrested on April 19, 1993, and released on bail three months later.
But was re-arrested on July 14 and remained in jail for 18 months before he was granted bail. Sanjay’s life- till date - has been controversial. But his fans nevertheless stood by him, always. After he stepped out of jail, the tinsel world gave him a few memorable roles in Parineetha, Dus, Kaante, LOC Kargil, Pitaah, Jodi No.1, Raju Chacha, Kurukshetra, Mission Kashmir, Jung and Vaastav to name a few. Awards and accolades followed.
But it was Munnabhai MBBS and Lage Raho…that gave him the ultimate gift - a new image, that of a ‘new-age’ Gandhian. Now that he is going to be jailed, will that image persist? Well, that’s a big question.
As of now he is free from jail till Decemebr 18, 2006. After that it will depend on the course of his advocates.

Gandhiji As Person

2007-05-09T11:03:00.001-07:00

Gandhi was nominated for the nobel prize five times, in 1937, 1938, 1939, 1947 and, finally, a few days before he was murdered in January 1948.Here are the remarks of one the committee advisor“He is undoubtedly a good, noble and ascetic person - a prominent man who is deservedly honoured and loved by the masses […]

Gandhi and his Gandhigiri is back in fashion this year

2007-05-09T11:00:00.000-07:00

Sonia Gandhi released the book Mohandas, written by Mahatama Gandhi’s grandson Rajmohan Gandhi in the Capital on Sunday evening, and the audience included politicians, the former attorney-general, and of course Gandhi’s descendants, including his great-grandchildren.
“It tells us how Gandhi empowered the vulnerable Indian and also how Indians empowered him, and also gives us fascinating portrayals of his colleagues. This book tells the gripping story of Gandhi’s struggle within himself,” said Sonia Gandhi.
But while the author is more than happy to be able to portray Gandhi’s human side, he’sless pleased about all the literary gossip on his motives for the four pages he’s writtenabout Gandhi and arguably the love of his life, Sarla Devi.
“I was lucky to have the family connection, the blood connection. The Sarla Devi incidentwas not a secret, it was published in my The Good Boatman 10 years ago. So to imagine that suddenly I have plucked something out of the closet is a gross exaggeration,” says Rajmohan Gandhi.
With Gandhigiri in 2006 and three books in 2007, it certainly looks like Gandhi is back infashion. “These days a film has brought into parlance a word, which is Gandhigiri, that also has a positive connotation, it’s intended for the common man,” said senior BJP leader, L K Advani.
“Whether it is skin-deep or soul-deep remains to be seen. It’s very good people areinterpreting in their own way. Perhaps once can say Gandhi has finally been liberated fromthe Gandhians,” said Rajmohan Gandhi.
Posted in Gandhi, Gandhigiri, Life of Gandhi, Gandhi and Congress, Gandhi as a person, Leadership Qualities 1 Comment »
New Age Gandhian Sanjay DuttNovember 29th, 2006
When Sanjay Dutt comes under the spell of Gandhi and confesses to Vidya Balan that he is a goon, there’s a wide round of applause. When he puts to shame an official who bribes a retired schoolmaster, the cheer is louder. Gandhigiri zindabad! Sanju baba zindabad!
Thanks to Lage Raho Munna Bhai, Sanjay Dutt has emerged a hero. A man who wears his discovery of Gandhi on his sleeves. A new-age Gandhian who has created a new wave of awareness about the father of nation.
Ironically, contrary to this newfound image, Dutt - son of yesteryear film stars Nargis and Sunil Dutt - has only been a black sheep of his family, always stirring up controversies. And his life had the ingredients of a Bollywood thriller - with a mix of action, stunts and crime.
Sanjay took to drugs at a young age. His mother’s premature death due to cancer worsened the situation. But soon, the man overcame his addiction, visiting a rehabilitation centre in the US. He then decided to turn a new leaf - by foraying into Bollywood with the film Rocky in 1981.
But Sanjay always carried an enfant terrible image and failed to get going in the film industry. Nevertheless, putting critics to rest, he made a comeback - moving from the lover boy image of Rocky to gritty action roles in films like Khalnayak and Thanedaar in the 1990s. Life suddenly looked better.
But misfortune struck him again. Wife Richa died of brain tumour. Losing the custody of his baby daughter was a bigger sorrow. Sanjay married again; that too was a failure.
But the biggest shock was yet to hit his family and the nation at large - Sanjay was announced an accused in the Mumbai blasts that killed 257 people.
He was charged with illegally possessing an AK-56 rifle, a 9 mm pistol during the 1993 blasts and for destroying the rifle under the TADA Act and the Arms Act. He was arrested on April 19, 1993, and released on bail three months later.
But was re-arrested on July 14 and remained in jail for 18 months before he was granted bail. Sanjay’s life- till date - has been controversial. But his fans nevertheless stood by him, always. After he stepped out of jail, the tinsel world gave him a few memorable roles in Parineetha, Dus, Kaante, LOC Kargil, Pitaah, Jodi No.1, Raju Chacha, Kurukshetra, Mission Kashmir, Jung and Vaastav to name a few. Awards and accolades followed.
But it was Munnabhai MBBS and Lage Raho…that gave him the ultimate gift - a new image, that of a ‘new-age’ Gandhian. Now that he is going to be jailed, will that image persist? Well, that’s a big question.
As of now he is free from jail till Decemebr 18, 2006. After that it will depend on the course of his advocates.